EDINBURGH : Cricket Scotland will not schedule matches against Afghanistan outside International Cricket Council (ICC) events, citing concerns over the treatment of women and girls under Taliban rule and the wider human rights situation in the country.
Women’s sport has effectively disappeared in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, while access to education and employment opportunities for women has been severely restricted.
The Taliban say they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, and maintain that internal matters should be addressed locally.
Scotland’s decision follows similar moves by Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to suspend bilateral cricket ties with Afghanistan, which became an ICC Full Member in 2017.
“This policy will be kept under review annually or following any significant ICC decision or material change in circumstances,” Cricket Scotland said in a statement on Monday.
The governing body said its decision reflected its commitment to increasing women’s and girls’ participation in cricket, as well as concerns about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Reuters has contacted the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for comment.
Scotland have not played Afghanistan in a full international match since the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup, but Cricket Scotland said the ACB had requested access to training facilities in July ahead of Afghanistan’s men’s series against Ireland.
The ACB made a further request in September for training facilities in Scotland in connection with the Afghanistan Premier League T20 competition, it added.
Cricket Scotland said it would continue to assess its contractual obligations to players and issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) if the ICC grants the Afghan league official approval.
“If an NOC is issued, participation by that player/s must not be interpreted as an endorsement by Cricket Scotland of the current Afghan regime or its policies,” the statement said.
