NEW DELHI: Former Afghanistan cricketer and current chief selector Asadullah Khan has lashed out at Cricket Australia (CA) for its continued refusal to play bilateral series against Afghanistan, calling the move “unfair, political, and against the gentleman’s spirit” of the game.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In an interview with PTI, Asadullah criticised Australia’s stance of linking sports with politics, after CA once again avoided a scheduled series citing Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights.
“Our women’s cricket team hasn’t played any matches in recent years, and this will take time to change. But Cricket Australia and other Boards linking cricket with politics — I don’t think that’s a good sign for the gentleman’s game,” said Khan.Reiterating that Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket was based purely on merit, the former player said the country deserved respect, not isolation.“We didn’t get ICC full-member status as a charity; we earned it through performance and credibility. Our spin attack is among the best in the world, and our winning percentage is impressive. If, despite all this, some countries are politicising our cricket, it’s like bringing a great team down,” he asserted.
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Cricket Australia had withdrawn from a three-match T20I series last year, stating that playing Afghanistan would be inconsistent with its commitment to supporting women’s rights. Asadullah, while acknowledging Afghanistan’s internal challenges, said isolating its cricket team was not a solution.“There are cultural factors involved, and change takes time. But refusing to play with us because of that will only hurt the men’s game too,” he observed.Khan expressed gratitude to India and the BCCI for standing by Afghan cricket, especially by hosting their home matches and accommodating players in the IPL.“We are thankful to all teams that continue to play with us, especially India. The BCCI has played a major role by providing us grounds and IPL exposure,” he said.Confident about Afghanistan’s upcoming T20 World Cup campaign, Khan added, “Our unit is strong — the openers are settled, and our spin and pace attacks can beat any team. We genuinely believe we can win the World Cup.”
