Amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, things are still unclear of how the politics and culture of Afghanistan would look like. Although one thing was made clear on Thursday that cricket in Afghanistan would continue in its current form. Afghanistan Cricket Board said that the Taliban has decided to allow cricket matches to be played in the country, but, there is still no confirmation about women's cricket.
Cricket is one sport where Afghanistan has an international impact. Players like Rashid Khan, Mohammed Nabi, Mohammed Shahzad, and others have become household names. In fact, Afghanistan qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup ahead of Sri Lanka.
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“The Taliban don't have any issue or problem with cricket, and they have told us that we can continue our work as planned,” said Afghanistan Cricket Board head of media operations Hikmat Hassan. (to Reuters)
“We have completed our two training camps in Kabul and we have sponsors, a production team, and even the kit ready," he added.
On the participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, Hassan said, “We are confident we will be able to take part and will be preparing for it over the coming weeks. I don't think there will be a problem."
Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), an IPL-style cricket league will be played between September 10-25, the board said. “Given the current problems in Afghanistan, it is an opportunity to bring the country together, bring some joy to the people and put on a remarkable spectacle,” Hassan said.
However, there isn't any clarification about women playing cricket in Afghanistan. As of now, there are 25 female players in contract with the ACB.