T20 World Cup 2021 | Would be giving good news regarding women’s cricket soon, says Afghanistan Cricket Board

After the Taliban’s cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq had stated that it wasn’t necessary for women to play sport, Fazli has asserted that women could still be allowed to play cricket soon. The ACB chairman had made such a claim to an Australian broadcaster following the Taliban’s stance on the same.

"We will give you our clear position on how we will allow women to play cricket," he told SBS Radio Pashto on Friday, the broadcaster reported on its English-language website. "Very soon, we will give you good news on how we will proceed."

There have also been recent reports claiming that many players of the women’s team were hiding in Kabul and that the Taliban were searching for them. Fazli has gone on to dismiss these allegations and stated that the women’s team was safe.

"The women cricket coach Diana Barakzai and her players are all safe and living in their home country.

"Many countries have asked them to leave Afghanistan, but they have not left Afghanistan, and at the moment, they are in their places," he added.

Following the comments from Taliban’s cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq, Cricket Australia has threatened to cancel a maiden Test match between the two countries, which was scheduled to take place in Hobart in November. Recently, Australia skipper Tim Paine also shared his thoughts on the same and asserted that teams could potentially pull out of the T20 World Cup or decide to wholly avoid playing against the Afghanistan team. 

The ACB then urged Australia to not punish their men’s team over issues that weren’t in their control and power.

"Do not isolate us and avoid penalising us," ACB had said in an overnight statement. 

Cricket Australia responded to the ACB’s comments and stated that they had no option but to cancel the Hobart Test if the Taliban banned women’s sport.