Australia postpones T20I series against Afghanistan over deteriorating conditions for women

Cricket Australia on Tuesday postponed a 3-match T20I home series against Afghanistan's men's team in August this year, citing the "worsening" conditions for women and girls in that country.

The Taliban, following its return to power in Afghanistan, imposed restrictions on girls attending high schools, barred women from universities and stopped female Afghan aid staff from working.

CA's decision to postpone the upcoming series is in the continuation of its tough stand on the South Asian country. CA had cancelled a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Hobart in November 2021, following which they also postponed a three-match ODI series in the UAE.

"Over the past 11 months, CA has continued to consult with the Australian Government on the situation in Afghanistan. The government's advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse," read a statement from CA.

"For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan," it added.

Afghanistan were the only Full Member to not be represented at the Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa because the females in the country have been barred from playing cricket.

This is the third time CA has declined to play Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the strife-torn country in September 2021 and placed restrictions on women's participation in sport.

"...(we) will continue to actively engage the International Cricket Council and work closely with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to determine what actions could be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future," the statement added.