Boycotting Afghanistan cricket plays into Taliban’s world view – Editorial

Kane Williamson congratulates Afghanistan star Rashid Khan at the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup last year. Photo / Getty Images

Editorial

THREE KEY FACTS

• New Zealand Cricket is considering a series with Afghanistan in 2026.
• Human Rights Watch urges the International Cricket Council to suspend Afghanistan until women can participate in sport.
• New Zealand Cricket believes playing Afghanistan could highlight women’s rights issues.

Sport and politics have a long and troubled history together.

The latest iteration involves cricket and Afghanistan, who the Black Caps are poised to play a series against in 2026.

However, New York-based non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member nations to stop playing the Afghanistan men’s cricket team because of the abuses of the Taliban regime, particularly against women.

There have already been calls for sporting bodies to boycott Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Similar protests in the past have included boycotts of apartheid South Africa and the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Nobody questions the abhorrent rule of the Taliban, which the New Zealand Government lists as a terrorist organisation.

But would a boycott of Afghanistan cricket or any of its other sports representatives achieve anything? It may be exactly what the Taliban want.

“We also know that the Taliban are actually anti the men’s cricket team playing,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) boss Scott Weenink told the Herald. “They would like nothing more than to see teams boycotting matches against the Afghanistan men’s team.”

By simply boycotting a game, we would likely be playing into the Taliban’s world view of suppressing Western ideas and values.

It is unfair for Afghanistan and the country’s sportspeople to be punished for the actions of its brutal Government.

Afghanistan currently has full ICC test status, which by the council’s own rules is dependent on a nation also having an international women’s programme.

But the Taliban cut funding of the Afghan women’s cricket team in 2021. They are now based in Australia, after players sought refugee status.

Weenink says NZC’s consultations about whether or not to boycott games included talking with the women’s team, who he says support continuing to play the men.

NZC said it is also open to playing the Aghanistan women’s team. We would be grateful to host them.

While a boycott of South African sports helped raise awareness about the apartheid regime, perhaps it is continuing to play which will help keep the plight of the Afghan women in people’s minds.

It is all too easy to forget the challenges the people of Afghanistan face daily after America’s withdrawal and lack of regular headlines.

According to Weenink, the issue of a boycott is discussed at every board meeting.

“We don’t take this at all lightly,” he said. “Their human rights record is horrendous. And I don’t think anyone would debate that.”

Right now, NZC are correct.

Cricket is one of the only positive links the Afghan people continue to have to the outside world. We must keep it open.

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