Taliban ban sports for all Afghanistan women, says ‘it exposes their body’

Women from Afghanistan cannot participate in sports including cricket as sporting activities would ‘expose their bodies’, the Taliban said on Wednesday (September 8). Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, told media that sports activities were not necessary for women.

Earlier this week, the Taliban decreed that only a woman teacher would teach female students but if that was not possible then ‘old men’ of good character could fill in.

“I don't think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket. In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this. It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed,” said Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, in an interview to SBS News.

In November 2020, twenty-five female cricketers were awarded central contracts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). It also held a 21-day training camp for 40 female cricketers in Kabul. The International Cricket Council (ICC) requires all 12 of its full members to have a national women’s team and only full members of the ICC are permitted to play Test matches.

When asked if no women’s cricket would mean ICC calling off the Hobart Test, Wasiq said the Taliban would not compromise. “Even for this, if we face challenges and problems, we have fought for our religion so that Islam is to be followed. We will not cross Islamic values even if it carries opposite reactions. We will not leave our Islamic rules.”

Cricket Australia threaten to cancel Hobart Test against Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia have said that they will not host Afghanistan for a historic first-ever Test at Hobart if the media reports of women's team not supported by Taliban are true. "Driving the growth of women's cricket is extremely important to Cricket Australia. Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level," Cricket Australia statement on Thursday (September 9) read.

An update on the proposed Test match against Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/p2q5LOJMlw — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) September 9, 2021

"If recent media reports that women's cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test match due to be played in Hobart," the statement added.