Months after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan raised uncertainty over Women’s Cricket in the country ultimately affecting the ICC status of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), it has been reported that the findings of the committee that was formed to look into the matter would be discussed during the ICC board meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 19.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the committee that was chaired by Imran Khwaja and included some top names: Ross McCollum (Ireland chair), Ramiz Raja (Pakistan chair) and Lawson Naidoo (SA chair) has found Afghanistan’s allrounder Mirwais Ashraf’s appointment as chairperson to be following the ACB and ICC constitutions. If accepted by the board then Ashraf will become an ICC board director.
In conversation with ESPNcricinfo, a former ACB official who was interviewed by the working group said,
“There needs to be stability within ACB.
The chairperson is meant to be in the role for three years. There need to be clear directions (by the ICC) to the government that the constitution and procedures need to be met.”
“I told them (working group) that Afghanistan cricket shouldn’t be sabotaged because of the Taliban’s takeover of the country,” he added.
As per ICC’s policy, a country is considered as its member only if both men’s and women’s teams play from there. However, Afghanistan was given the status exceptionally in 2017 with the deal that they would be working actively towards the development of women’s cricket in the country which has been restricted since the Taliban’s takeover.
As per the same report, an official said,
“There is no way to know if women’s cricket is developing there right now,”
“The ACB is saying that women are still allowed to play. The indication is that the ACB is trying. Every country has an obligation to develop women’s cricket.”
Meanwhile, the working group is expected to meet one final time in Dubai to formalize its position before presenting to the ICC.
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Author of the poetry book ‘The Scent of Rhythm’, I am a passionate writer and a Sports enthusiast who writes on Cricket and plays Badminton.