Cricket Australia takes on Taliban over refusal to let women play

Cricket Australia has announced that it will cancel the country's historic maiden men's Test match with Afghanistan following the Taliban government's stand that it will not allow its women's team to play.

The first Test between Australia and Afghanistan was scheduled to be played at Hobart's Blundstone Arena on November 27.

The decision comes after Taliban government official Ahmadullah Wasiq told an Australian media outlet that women were not permitted to play cricket under Islamic law.

Women cannot play cricket or any sport where they get exposed as per Islam and the Islamic Emirate, Wasiq said, adding that their faith does not allow women to be seen in a position where their face and body will not be covered.

The Afghanistan women's team were gearing up for their first formal match, against Oman, in the next couple of months. 

Peeved by the statement, Cricket Australia reiterated in a statement that it wanted to globally boost the growth of women's cricket.

Stating that country endorsed the view that cricket is a sport for all, Cricket Australia further said that it supports the game unequivocally for women at every level.

Reiterating that if the Taliban government's official position is in line with media reports which have claimed that the new government would not support women’s cricket, Cricket Australia said it would be forced to abandon the men's Test match as well.