The International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing increasing pressure to respond to the violation of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon the ICC to suspend the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) membership.
In a letter to Jay Shah, HRW stated that the ICC should suspend Afghanistan until women and girls are allowed to participate in education and sports again. HRW also urged the ICC to adopt a human rights policy based on UN principles.
HRW’s letter, sent just before the Champions Trophy final in Dubai, highlights the contradiction between cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics and the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports, which HRW Director Minky Worden points out violates the Olympic Charter.
The letter emphasizes that the Taliban’s actions are a severe breach of the Olympic Charter, which guarantees sport as a human right. It also references the IOC’s framework on human rights and the UN principles that require addressing gender discrimination.
The Taliban’s ban extends to all sports for women and girls, forcing some Afghan women cricketers to seek refuge in Australia.
HRW argues that the unequal treatment, where the men’s team receives support while the women’s team does not, violates both the Olympic Charter and ICC’s anti-discrimination policies. They recalled a previous suspension of Afghanistan by the IOC in 1999 for similar reasons.
The ICC has been contacted for comment. Jay Shah had previously expressed commitment to women’s cricket and acknowledged the difficulties faced by Afghan women cricketers.
Shah stated that the ICC is reviewing communications about Afghan women’s cricket and seeking solutions within its framework to support them.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has also urged the ICC to take action.
