The Human Rights Watch has sent an email to the International Cricket Council with the subject, “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy “.
The organization wants the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban – run Afghanistan from ICC membership and from taking part in international cricket until women and girls can participate in education and sports in the country.
In August 2021, the Taliban banned all sports for women and girls, forcing many athletes to flee the country. Teammates of Afghanistan’s women’s national cricket team fled the country but continue to practice and play matches in other countries.
They want to compete internationally just like the men’s team, and they have tried several times to appeal but the International Cricket Council continues to ignore their appeal.
The full statement reads:
“We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership, and from participating in international cricket until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport in the country.
“We also urge the ICC to implement a human rights policy based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
“We note that you have pledged ‘to allocate more resources to women’s cricket’ during your tenure at the helm of global cricket and ‘champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to women’s cricket.
“However, since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a long and growing list of rules and policies that bar women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and movement, many forms of employment, and education beyond sixth grade. These affect virtually all their rights, including life, livelihood, shelter, health care, food, and water,” the statement concluded.
Many teammates of the Afghanistan women’s national team have continued training and participating in tournaments.
In the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the governing body of global sports financially funded Afghanistan women athletes living abroad who took part in the Olympics.
In January the exiled Afghanistan women’s cricket team also represented their country in Australia, playing in a historic exhibition cricket match, which they hope will bring change in female cricket, co-captain Firooza Amiri told the media that her team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights,”
