Human Rights Watch has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Afghanistan’s ICC membership and prohibit the Taliban-led nation from participating in international cricket. This request, sent on February 3 and released publicly on March 7, emphasizes the Taliban’s repressive policies against women and girls, barring them from education and sports since regaining power in 2021. The organization highlights contradictions in the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy, pointing out continued support for the men’s team while the women’s team is ignored. HRW seeks the ICC’s commitment to develop a human rights policy and pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to include female players.
Human Rights Watch has urged the ICC to revoke Afghanistan’s membership and prohibit the Taliban-governed country from participating in international cricket. This appeal was made in an email to ICC chair Jay Shah on February 3, which was later made public on March 7, titled: “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy”.
Human Rights Watch identifies itself as an independent, international, non-governmental organization dedicated to researching and advocating against human rights violations by both state and non-state entities globally.
“We are contacting you to implore the International Cricket Council (ICC) to halt Taliban-led Afghanistan’s ICC membership and participation in international cricket, until women and girls in the country can again engage in sports and education,” stated the email.
“We also call on the ICC to establish a human rights policy in alignment with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
“We acknowledge your commitment to ‘allocate more resources to women’s cricket’ throughout your leadership in global cricket and ‘to further champion the ICC’s mission by providing enhanced resources and focus on women’s cricket’.
“However, since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban has enforced an extensive and increasing array of regulations that prevent women and girls from exercising fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and movement, various forms of employment, and education beyond sixth grade. These rules impact nearly all of their rights, including access to life, livelihood, shelter, healthcare, food, and water.”
The email further noted that the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy for international cricket commits to ensuring that cricket is accessible to all participants, regardless of their backgrounds. It emphasized that the policy also seeks to ensure participants can enjoy the sport without experiencing intimidating behavior based on factors such as sex, gender, marital status, and/or maternity status.
The email also highlighted that while payments to Afghanistan’s Women’s team were halted in 2021, the men’s team continues to receive financial and logistical backing, seemingly violating the ICC’s own anti-discrimination policies.
“By preventing women and girls from participating in cricket and failing to field a national women’s team for international competition, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is violating this Anti-Discrimination Policy,” stated Human Rights Watch.
Since the Taliban reestablished control in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been subjected to an increasingly stringent set of laws limiting their participation in most public domains, including sports. Just prior to this, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had agreed to contract 25 female players, most of whom currently reside in exile in Australia.
Last July, former members of the Afghanistan women’s national team, no longer recognized by the Taliban authorities, petitioned the ICC for acknowledgment as a refugee team.
Both England and Australia have decided against playing bilateral matches with Afghanistan, yet are willing to face them in ICC events, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould advocating for a “coordinated, ICC-led response” over individual country actions.
Human Rights Watch requested a prompt response from the ICC to various inquiries, including the measures the governing body is taking to formulate a human rights policy, the rationale behind the non-suspension of the ACB from international competitions until women and girls regain their educational and sporting rights, and whether the ICC would be willing to recognize the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete, and benefit from ICC financial assistance.
Further, it inquired about the steps the ICC has taken or plans to take to “pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to incorporate women and girl players in their competitions” and the funding or support that has been or will be provided to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
“The International Cricket Council ought to emulate the actions of other sports governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, by urging the Taliban to permit Afghan women and girls to participate in sports, and by committing to a human rights framework,” concluded the email.
The ICC has been approached for comments.