Taliban Bans Women's Cricket in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's rise in cricket is one of the modern game's most remarkable stories. Beginning as refugees playing on matting pitches in Pakistani camps, Afghan cricketers built a national programme almost from nothing. ICC associate membership came in 2001, and full membership in 2017 — a journey that coincided with extraordinary performances at World Twenty20 events and the emergence of world-class talents like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.

Women's cricket in Afghanistan had been developing modestly under the previous government, supported by ICC development funding. Though the programme was small, it existed and was growing. Afghan women cricketers were training, competing, and beginning to attract notice on the global stage. Several women had made cricket a central part of their lives and their aspirations.

The Taliban's return to power in August 2021, following the collapse of the US-backed government and the chaotic withdrawal of international forces, ended this progress overnight. Within days, women were excluded from public life across the country. Sport, education, and employment became inaccessible to women and girls. The ICC's development investment in Afghan women's cricket was rendered worthless overnight.

Within weeks of the Taliban takeover, Ahmadullah Wasiq — a senior Taliban cultural official — stated publicly that women playing cricket was unnecessary and contrary to Islamic values. The statement was unambiguous: Afghan women would not be playing cricket, or any other sport, under Taliban rule.

The ICC found itself in a bind. Its membership criteria clearly require Full Members to maintain active women's cricket programmes. Afghanistan was in obvious breach. The ICC had previously suspended Zimbabwe for government interference in its cricket board — a far less serious violation by any human rights measure. Now, with an entire gender banned from the sport, the ICC appeared reluctant to apply the same logic.

Australia was the first major cricketing nation to act. Cricket Australia cancelled the landmark first-ever Test between Australia and Afghanistan, scheduled for November 2021 in Hobart. Several other boards made bilateral series against Afghanistan contingent on progress on women's cricket. The ICC formed a working group to review the situation — but no suspension followed.

When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, one of the immediate casualties was women's sport. The Afghan women's cricket team, which had been slowly developing since receiving ICC affiliate membership, was effectively dissolved. Taliban deputy head of the cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, stated that women playing cricket was "not necessary" and that Islam did not allow women to be seen playing sport.

The ban placed the ICC in an extremely difficult position. The ICC's own constitution requires all Full Members to have an active women's cricket program. Australia and other nations threatened to cancel bilateral series against Afghanistan's men's team if the women's ban remained. Cricket Australia cancelled a landmark Test match against Afghanistan scheduled for November 2021 in Hobart, citing the Taliban's treatment of women.

Despite the clear violation of its own membership criteria, the ICC took a cautious approach, stopping short of suspending Afghanistan. Critics accused the ICC of applying double standards — willing to suspend Zimbabwe for government interference but reluctant to act against Afghanistan on gender equality. The ICC argued that engagement was more likely to produce change than isolation. Meanwhile, Afghan women cricketers fled the country as refugees, with some continuing to play in exile. The situation remains unresolved and represents one of the most profound challenges to cricket's claim to be an inclusive global sport.

“We believe that women should not play cricket. It is not necessary for them and Islam does not permit it.”

“Cricket Australia is committed to supporting the growth of women's cricket globally and we are not prepared to proceed with the Test match. We join with the ICC in calling for meaningful change.”

“I trained for years to play for my country. The Taliban have taken that away. But they cannot take away my love for cricket.”

“The ICC's inaction on Afghanistan is a double standard that cannot be defended. If governance interference justifies suspension, then banning women from the sport surely does too.”

The ICC's working group has met repeatedly without producing action. Afghanistan's men's team has continued to play in all ICC events, including the T20 World Cup, generating significant broadcast revenue for the ICC and for the Afghanistan Cricket Board. Critics argue that this revenue stream is the primary reason the ICC has not acted — Afghanistan is a commercially viable cricket nation and its fans are vocal and engaged.

Several Afghan women cricketers have managed to resettle in other countries and continue playing cricket. Some have spoken publicly about their situation, calling on the ICC and national boards to apply greater pressure. Their accounts of what they lost — careers, team bonds, national pride — have been widely reported and brought human faces to what might otherwise be an abstract governance debate.