Under International Cricket Council regulations, Afghanistan should not be playing international.
The ICC regulations clearly state that each member nation must have a men’s and women’s team. Afghanistan only ever had a token women’s but were given full member Test stats in 2017, along with Ireland.
However when the Taliban retook Afghanistan in 2021 women’s rights were again devastated. Sports women burned their uniforms and equipment and attempted to flee the country for fear of retribution. Many are now in Australia.
Earlier this year Human Rights Watch wrote:
In the last two and a half years after regaining power in Afghanistan, the Taliban, have created the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis. They have systematically violated the rights of women and girls including as they relate to education, paid employment, freedom of speech and movement, and political participation among many others. The response of the international community has been tepid and seems to lack an appreciation of how the situation in Afghanistan has grave implications for the rights of women and girls globally. More needs to be done to prevent this from developing any further and to reinforce global commitment to gender equality.
In stark contrast to the 21-year ban imposed by the ICC on South Africa from 1970 during the Apartheid era, the ICC continues to “monitor” the situation in Afghanistan.
Australia has been the only country to publicly oppose playing Afghanistan in bilateral series, having cancelled two series over the past two years.
“Over the past 12 months Cricket Australia has continued to consult with the Australian government on the situation in Afghanistan,” CA said in a statement last March. “The government’s advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse.”
However Australia continues to play Afghanistan in major international tournaments in the same way India will only play Pakistan in global events.
The deputy head of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, explains in 2021 why it is not necessary for women in Afghanistan to play sport and in particular cricket.