New Delhi, March 20
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has expressed disappointment over Cricket Australia's (CA) decision to postpone the scheduled three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.
Australia on Tuesday announced that they postponed the men's T20I series against Afghanistan scheduled for August this year, citing the deterioration of human rights for women and girls in Afghanistan.
To this, the ACB responded, "ACB advocates for keeping cricket distinct from political influence, considering the game’s significance in Afghanistan and its connection to the happiness and joy of the Afghan Nation."
“ACB acknowledges the pressures faced by Cricket Australia from the Australian Government and emphasises on the importance of addressing such issues through collaborative efforts between the two cricket boards. The ACB also urges the Australian government not to impose its policies on cricket boards and instead focus on supporting the development of cricket across regions.
“ACB's top management had previously negotiated with Cricket Australia and proposed exploring alternative solutions instead of publicly announcing withdrawals. ACB expresses disappointment over CA's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan for the third time,” it added.
The three-match T20I series was a part of Afghanistan's FTP for the ICC 2023–2027 international calendar, which was confirmed by the ICC in front of the CA delegation.
This was the third time in as many years that CA decided to postpone a series against Afghanistan. In 2021, they had cancelled a one-off Test against them. This was followed by the CA's decision to pull out of a three-match ODI series in 2023.
"ACB urges Cricket Australia to respect and understand its position as a Full Member nation and look for alternative solutions rather than succumbing to external pressures and/or political influences.
"The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains committed to negotiating with the International Cricket Council, Cricket Australia, & other full member countries and adhering to ICC principles to ensure cricket remains free from political influence and supported by all parties involved,” it concluded.