An Afghan cricket official has stated that the Taliban will not impede the schedule of the men’s national cricket team, as per Sky Sports. The sport has enjoyed remarkable success in recent years, producing international stars such as Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The growth of the “Shpageeza” Twenty20 league will not be stemmed either.
The team had three One Day matches against Pakistan planned next month, due to be played in Sri Lanka, and fortunately it looks as if the games will go ahead. The biggest worry was that Afghanistan would be unable to partake in October’s T20 World Cup, but there is optimism that the team will be travelling as normal.
The nation’s aforementioned T20 competition has added two more franchises in line with their expansion plans, and is due to be played in mid-September. The big worry is for the future of the women’s game, already a relatively modest project within the country.
The ACB run several programs for women looking to get into the game, and currently employ twenty-five female cricketers whilst running grass-roots programs for younger girls. Given the history of the Taliban and current fears amongst women in the country for their freedom, the future looks desperate for that side of the game in the country.
