KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Afghanistan’s membership until women and girls are allowed to participate in the sport.
In a letter to ICC Chair Jay Shah, made public on Friday, HRW criticized the council for its silence on the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports, describing it as a “disregard for fundamental human rights.”
The rights group highlighted that under international cricket regulations, member nations must have a women’s team for their men’s team to compete internationally—something Afghanistan has not had since the Taliban took power in August 2021.
HRW urged the ICC to adopt and carry out a human rights policy in line with United Nations standards, suspend Afghanistan’s men’s national team until women’s cricket is reinstated, and support the Afghan women’s team in exile.
“The International Cricket Council has the responsibility to ensure its systems do not ignore, or worse, encourage systematic gender discrimination,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at HRW.
The group also called on the ICC to follow the example of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has recognized and financially supported Afghan women athletes living abroad, allowing them to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The ICC has yet to respond to HRW’s request.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, women in Afghanistan have been banned from playing sports, including cricket. Many female athletes, including cricketers, have either abandoned their careers or fled the country due to fears of persecution.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s men’s team continues competing without restrictions and is scheduled to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai on March 9.
Afghanistan remains the only ICC member without a women’s team. Many of Afghanistan’s contracted female cricketers have since resettled in Australia, where they continue to train. They say their team represents “millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights.”
In recent years, several women activists, both inside and outside Afghanistan, have called for a boycott of Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team, arguing that it is supported by the Taliban and should not be allowed to compete unless women cricketers are given the same opportunity.
Last year, members of the Afghan women’s cricket team in Australia urged the ICC to help them establish a refugee team, saying it would provide Afghan women with a platform to play.
“It’s so painful and so disappointing. I don’t understand why they [the ICC] are not doing anything to help us,” cricketer Shabnam Ahsan said. “We have worked so hard, and we deserve help just like every other team.”
