The International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing increasing pressure to act on Afghanistan’s violation of women’s rights. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has requested the ICC to suspend the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB)’s membership.
HRW’s letter to Jay Shah on Friday, March 7, urged the ICC to suspend Afghanistan from membership and international cricket until women and girls are allowed to participate in education and sports again. They also called for the ICC to adopt a human rights policy based on UN guidelines.
This letter was sent before the Champions Trophy final in Dubai. Minky Worden from HRW pointed out to the ICC chairman that the Taliban’s ban violates the Olympic Charter, especially since cricket will be in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The letter emphasizes that the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports is a serious breach of the Olympic Charter, which considers sports a human right. The International Olympic Committee’s human rights framework requires sports federations to ensure equality and non-discrimination. UN principles also mandate addressing gender discrimination in workplaces.
The Taliban has prohibited all sports for women and girls. Some Afghan women cricketers are currently in hiding in Australia.
HRW stated that the unequal treatment, where the Afghan men’s team gets support while the women’s team doesn’t, violates the Olympic Charter and ICC’s rules against discrimination. They recalled that in 1999, the IOC suspended Afghanistan for a similar ban on women in sports.
The ICC has been contacted for comment. Jay Shah previously stated his commitment to supporting cricket in Afghanistan, acknowledging the difficulties faced by Afghan women’s cricket, including exiled players.
According to the BBC, Shah mentioned that the ICC is reviewing communications about Afghan women’s cricket and seeking ways to support them within its rules. He emphasized focusing on dialogue and solutions that benefit all Afghan cricketers.
Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also called for action against the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
