by Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said he would support Australian men’s players if some wanted to express their own views on Afghanistan and if they were to continue playing against the Taliban-controlled country in the World Cups and other ICC tournaments.
An Afghan women’s XI will take on a team representing Cricket Without Borders, an initiative expanding opportunities for women in cricket, at an exhibition at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Thursday to raise awareness of the plight of women facing persecution under the Taliban.
Related: Heather Knight lends her voice to the plight of the Afghanistan women’s team
The match comes less than a month before the Australian men’s team takes on Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy. Cricket Australia maintains a policy of adhering to its scheduling requirements in ICC tournaments, but does not play bilateral series with its Afghanistan Cricket Board counterparts.
The continued presence of the Afghan team in the ICC men’s competition has attracted international criticism, and 160 English MPs this month signed a letter calling on England to boycott its Champions Trophy match, which begins next month in Pakistan.
Australian Deputy Foreign Minister Tim Watts said his government “will not allow the current situation in Afghanistan to become the new normal” and will continue “to speak out in support of the human rights of women and girls.”
Hockley said while he believed Cricket Australia was doing enough on the issue, he would support players from Pat Cummins’ team expressing their own opinions, as the organization has done in previous cases, such as Usman Khawaja’s advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
“Absolutely, we are very supportive of players having their own point of view and expressing their point of view. But at the time it was a very difficult decision to postpone our men’s matches against Afghanistan. [last year]” said Hockley.
“I think now, coupled with this support for [Afghanistan] On the women’s team, I think it’s generally accepted that we are really shining a light on this issue.
Afghanistan’s XI for Thursday’s match is made up of players who fled to Australia when the Taliban took control in 2021.
Firoza Amiri said her team represents “millions of Afghan women who are in Afghanistan and disenfranchised”, and the match is an important milestone for players who have found a new life in Victoria and the ACT.
“It’s very special for all of us to find each other after three years, after leaving and losing everything in Afghanistan, and to find each other again,” she said.
Captain Nahida Sapan said she had “high hopes” for this match, “because this match can open doors for Afghan women for education, sports and the future.”
Hockley said he believed Cricket Australia had taken a leadership position since the “degradation of human rights” began and the organization would continue to advocate at the ICC.
“There are mechanisms within the ICC to support this group of players, whether that’s setting aside a level of funding that would normally be allocated to women’s programs, until they are able to resume their game on the international stage,” he added. » he said.
Hockley said Australia was “required” to play matches at ICC events. “Again, it comes down to what we can do that is within our control. I think we have been clear and consistent,” he said. “I think you have to draw a line somewhere and I think we’ve made our position pretty clear.”
The CA boss describes Thursday’s match as a “first step” towards the return of Afghan women to international cricket. “I hope this fosters a lot of conversations, that it becomes an annual thing, then becomes more often, and that ultimately this team is able to compete on the international stage the way they want to.”
Hockley ends his role as chief executive in March and will be replaced by Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg. On Monday, Hockley reflected on Cricket Australia’s response to the situation in Afghanistan under his leadership.
“It’s such a complex situation, it goes way beyond cricket,” he said. “But I hope what you see this week is that we are doing the things that are within our direct control to be able to make a positive difference.”
