Cricket Australia Postpones Another Bilateral Series Against Afghanistan
Cricket Australia has decided to postpone a men’s T20I series against Afghanistan, following consultation with the Australian government.
This decision comes on the heels of a previous postponement of an ODI series against Afghanistan, which was initially slated for March 2023.
Cricket Australia had expressed hope at the time of the first postponement that they could continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, with the anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country.
Match Highlights: Australia narrowly escaped defeat by Afghanistan, securing a four-run win in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 clash.
The Australian government, however, has advised Cricket Australia about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan over the past year, stating that the “conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse”. This has led to Cricket Australia’s decision to postpone another series against Afghanistan.
In a statement, Cricket Australia said: “Over the past twelve months, we have 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 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.”
Australia last faced off against Afghanistan at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, where Glenn Maxwell stole the show with a defiant double-century, leading them to a memorable victory.
Both teams have not participated in international cricket outside of ICC events since August 2012.
Glenn Maxwell delivered an exceptional innings to propel Australia into the knockout stage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.