Cricket Ireland Chooses Afghanistan Series
Cricket Ireland will host Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series next week. The visit will be Afghanistan’s seventh to the country, and the first since a five-match T20I series in Ireland in 2022.
However, unlike previous trips, Afghanistan cricket has undergone significant changes, with many cricket boards, including the ECB and CA, refusing to schedule any bilateral series against the South Asian country.
Several protesters and human rights organisations in Ireland have expressed their discontent with Cricket Ireland for staging a series against Afghanistan, which is ruled by the Taliban. Fortunately for the sport, Cricket Ireland has announced that it is developing proper security arrangements for the series in anticipation of potential protests.
Ireland promises security procedures for the Afghanistan series.
Cricket Ireland has promised to make security precautions for the visiting Afghanistan squad as well as the upcoming five-match ODI series in Bready and Belfast on August 5-15.
The Cricket Board has announced that it is already working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to ensure that the series goes off without incident.
Cricket Ireland told BBC Sport that “appropriate security measures are in place, and all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and security of players, supporters, officials, and staff.”
The PSNI also stated that a “appropriate and proportionate policing plan” will be implemented to protect everyone’s safety in the event of protests during matches.
The series between Afghanistan and hosts Ireland attracts protest threats due to worries over Afghanistan’s human rights record under Taliban rule.
The criticism is mostly directed at the Taliban’s restrictions on basic women’s rights, which include the effective destruction of all women’s sports in Afghanistan, prompting some groups to question the country’s continued cricketing links.
Cricket Ireland expressed “moral discomfort” about hosting the Afghanistan series.
Earlier this year, CA CEO Sarah Keane stated that the board’s choice to invite Afghanistan for a series caused some “moral discomfort” due to the status of women in the South Asian nation.
It is worth noting that Keane was recently nominated to the International Criminal Court’s special task group for the Afghanistan women’s refugee team, which is now working toward their potential participation in ICC events by 2030.
Which other teams have openly spoken out against Taliban?
CA is preparing for human rights protests against Afghanistan and the ruling Taliban administration, and numerous other cricket boards have already excluded the Afghanistan squad from their bilateral schedule.
For example, the ECB and Cricket Australia have previously terminated bilateral obligations with Afghanistan. However, both the England and Australia cricket teams meet their match obligations against them in ICC competitions such as the World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also highlighted the issue by forming a Special Taskforce and a Development Pathway Programme for displaced Afghan women players.
