Afghanistan cricket bosses Wednesday expressed disappointment that Australia had scrapped a men’s T20 series because of deteriorating women’s rights in the Taliban-ruled country and called for “politics-free cricket”. Cricket Australia said it had received advice “that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse” and postponed the three-match series scheduled in August, likely to have been hosted by the UAE. 

“The Afghanistan Cricket Board [ACB] expresses disappointment over Cricket Australia’s decision to postpone yet another bilateral series against Afghanistan and reiterates its stance on neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe,” said a statement. The decision, announced Tuesday, was the third time since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power, that Australia have refused to play Afghanistan outside of international tournaments.