Afghan Board Chairman takes a U-turn from Taliban policy, says nation to soon have women’s team

In a very dramatic set of events, only days after deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq confirmed that no Afghanistan woman would be participating in any sport, Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Azizullah Fazli has said that soon the board will be fielding its women’s team to avoid losing its Test status. 

"We will give you our clear position on how we will allow women to play cricket. Very soon, we will give you good news on how we will proceed,” Fazli was quoted as saying by SBS Radio Pashto’s English website. 

Suggesting that all the 25 women selected last year as possible central contract awardees are still living in Afghanistan, Fazli said, "The women cricket coach Diana Barakzai and her players are all safe and living in their home country.” 

"Many countries have asked them to leave Afghanistan, but they have not left Afghanistan, and at the moment, they are in their places,” he added. 

Earlier, after Cricket Australia’s threat of cancelling the Hobart Test between its national team and Afghanistan, the ACB had pleaded to not isolate them as they are "powerless to change the culture and religious environment of Afghanistan". "Do not isolate us and avoid penalizing us," the board had said.