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Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Tim Paine has voiced his disagreement with Cricket Australia’s stance against playing bilateral cricket series with Afghanistan. Paine emphasized that Australia should not boycott matches solely due to Afghanistan’s lack of a women’s cricket team, a situation influenced by the current Taliban government’s policies.
Cricket Australia has consistently refused to engage in bilateral series with Afghanistan, citing concerns over gender equality and the absence of women’s cricket in Afghanistan. Despite this, Afghanistan has competed against Australia in ICC events, including a notable victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 and a close encounter in the previous year’s ODI World Cup.
The scheduled one-off Test in 2021, an ODI series in March 2023, and a three-match T20I series in August 2024 were all canceled by Cricket Australia. Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan team captain, has expressed the desire for regular competition against top cricketing nations, highlighting the unifying power of sports while acknowledging the complex issues at play.
Tim Paine – We Don’t Have To Abandon
Tim Paine criticized Cricket Australia for its decision to decline bilateral cricket series against Afghanistan. The former Australian captain suggested that such series could serve as a platform to raise awareness and support for women’s issues in Afghanistan, rather than opting for complete disengagement.
“We don’t have to abandon Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team… the bilateral series could be something we use to raise awareness and try to help women in Afghanistan rather than just shutting the door,” Paine said on ESPN.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team began their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with three consecutive wins, including a notable victory over New Zealand in the group stage. However, they faced a significant setback with a heavy 104-run defeat against the West Indies in their latest group match.
In their first Super 8 encounter, Afghanistan suffered a 47-run loss to the India national cricket team but stayed in contention for the semifinals by securing a thrilling 21-run win over Australia. They sealed their spot in the semi-finals with a victory over Bangladesh in their final Super 8 match.
Afghanistan’s first appearance in the T20 World Cup semi-finals will see them facing South Africa at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Wednesday, June 26 (local time). South Africa, led by Aiden Markram, remained undefeated in both the group stage and Super 8 stage of the tournament held across the West Indies and the USA.
