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Rashid Khan And Co In Danger? ICC Might Suspend Afghanistan For Gender Inequality

Soumyajit Dutta

Afghanistan women's cricket and Rashid Khan [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]Afghanistan women's cricket and Rashid Khan [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

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In a recent development, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has intensified pressure on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Afghanistan’s cricket board until the Taliban regime reverses its ban on women’s participation in sports and education. In a letter addressed to ICC Chairman Jay Shah, the global rights body highlighted the Taliban’s systemic discrimination against women as a direct violation of international sporting principles, including the Olympic Charter.

Afghanistan's ICC Membership Suspension Demanded

The letter from HRW, sent on March 7 ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai, called for immediate action regarding the suspension of Afghanistan.

“We urge the ICC to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership, and from participating in international cricket, until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport… The ICC must implement a human rights policy aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”

HRW emphasized that the Taliban’s prohibition of women’s sports contradicts the Olympic Charter, especially with cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

“The Taliban’s ban on women in sport breaches the Olympic Charter’s guarantee that ‘the practice of sport is a human right.’ International federations like the ICC must enforce equality and non-discrimination,” Minky Worden, HRW’s Director of Global Initiatives noted.

HRW referenced the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) 2003 suspension of Afghanistan during the Taliban’s earlier rule, which barred women from sports. The letter stresses similar accountability for the ICC.

“The disparate treatment of Afghanistan’s men’s and women’s teams—where the men receive funding and logistics while women are erased—violates ICC anti-discrimination rules and the Olympic Charter.”

Exiled Players & ICC’s Stalled Response

Since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, Afghan women cricketers have faced persecution, with many fleeing to Australia. Despite repeated appeals, the ICC has yet to act decisively. 

“We are committed to supporting cricket development via the Afghanistan Cricket Board while addressing challenges for women’s cricket, including exiled players. The ICC is reviewing communications and exploring solutions within its legal framework,” Shah recently told the BBC.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has also earlier pushed for accountability, urging the council to address the Taliban’s discriminatory policies.