Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the postponement of the three-match men's T20 International series against Afghanistan, citing concerns over the worsening human rights situation for women and girls in the country.
Cricket Australia has been in ongoing discussions with the Australian Government regarding the situation in Afghanistan and has decided to delay the bilateral series.
“Over the past twelve months CA has continued to consult with the Australian Government on the situation in Afghanistan. The government’s advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse. For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan,” Cricket Australia said.
CA emphasized its ongoing commitment to supporting women's cricket globally and pledged to collaborate with the International Cricket Council and the Afghanistan Cricket Board to explore possibilities for resuming bilateral matches in the future.
“CA continues its strong commitment to supporting participation by women and girls in cricket around the world and will continue to actively engage the International Cricket Council and work closely with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to determine what actions could be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future," CA further added.
It is worth noting that The T20I series, originally scheduled for August, has been deferred, meanwhhile CA also postponed last year's ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE due to similar concerns.
