Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Afghanistan’s membership and bar the Taliban-run nation from competing in international cricket until women and girls regain access to education and sports.
The demand, outlined in an email to ICC Chair Jay Shah on February 3, was made public on March 7. The email, titled “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy,” urged the ICC to take immediate action in response to the Taliban’s systematic exclusion of women from public life since regaining power in August 2021.
Human Rights Watch: Afghanistan in Violation of ICC Policy
HRW criticized the ICC’s continued recognition of Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team, stating that it directly contradicts the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy, which ensures cricket can be enjoyed by all regardless of sex, gender, or marital status.
“By not allowing women and girls to play cricket, and not allowing a national team for women and girls to compete internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is failing to abide by this Anti-Discrimination Policy,” the statement read.
HRW further noted that Afghanistan’s exclusion of women from sport violates the Olympic Charter, which guarantees “the practice of sport as a human right.” The organization urged the ICC to adopt a formal human rights policy based on United Nations guidelines and pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to reinstate women’s participation.
International Pressure on ICC Over Afghanistan
The Taliban’s ban on women’s sports has drawn condemnation worldwide, with some nations taking action against Afghanistan in cricketing events:
- England and Australia have refused to play Afghanistan in bilateral series but have faced them in ICC tournaments.
- In February 2025, British MPs urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan, though the ICC allowed the game to proceed.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly demanded the ICC “deliver on their own rules.”
Despite these pressures, ICC-affiliated nations have not yet taken a collective stance on Afghanistan’s participation. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Richard Gould has called for an ICC-led response rather than individual countries taking action.
Afghanistan’s Women’s Team in Exile
Many former members of Afghanistan’s women’s national team now live in exile, particularly in Australia, after fleeing Taliban rule. Some of them formed an Afghanistan Women’s XI, playing an exhibition match in Melbourne in January 2025 against a team organized by Cricket Without Borders.
In July 2024, the exiled players wrote to the ICC requesting official recognition and financial support as a refugee team. HRW’s email questioned why the ICC has not suspended Afghanistan’s men’s team or supported the exiled women’s team, despite its stated commitment to growing women’s cricket.
What’s Next? ICC Under Pressure to Respond
HRW has urged the ICC to respond to several critical questions:
- What steps is the ICC taking to develop a human rights policy?
- Why hasn’t Afghanistan’s membership been suspended until women regain access to education and sport?
- Would the ICC be willing to recognize the Afghanistan women’s team in exile, allowing them to train, compete, and receive funding?
- What actions, if any, has the ICC taken to pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to reinstate women’s cricket?
HRW has drawn comparisons to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has publicly condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women. It has urged the ICC to take a similar stance, arguing that continuing to support Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team undermines the sport’s commitment to inclusivity and equality.
As calls for action grow louder, the ICC faces mounting pressure to decide whether Afghanistan’s continued participation in international cricket aligns with its own principles and policies.
