HRW urges ICC to suspend Afghanistan cricket over women's rights violations

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is under increasing pressure to take action against Afghanistan following allegations of women's rights abuses in the country.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global non-governmental organization advocating for human rights, has called on the ICC to suspend the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) due to the Taliban's restrictions on women's participation in education and sports.

In a letter addressed to ICC Secretary Jay Shah on Friday, HRW urged the council to bar Afghanistan from international cricket until women and girls regain their right to participate in sports.

The organization also requested the ICC to implement a human rights policy aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

"We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (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 sports in the country. We also urge the ICC to implement a human rights policy based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," HRW stated in the letter to Jay Shah on Friday.

The appeal coincides with the Champions Trophy final in Dubai. Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at HRW, reminded the ICC that with cricket now included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Taliban's restrictions on women's participation directly violate the Olympic Charter.

"We note that cricket has been included as a sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, yet the Taliban's ban on women and girls participating in the sport is a severe violation of the Olympic Charter's guarantee that 'the practice of sport is a human right.' The International Olympic Committee's Strategic Framework on Human Rights calls on all international sports federations to implement 'equality and non-discrimination.' The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights require remedies for gender-based discrimination in the workplace," the letter states.

The Taliban has banned all women's sports in Afghanistan, forcing some Afghan female cricketers into hiding in Australia.

HRW emphasised the discriminatory treatment, highlighting that while the Afghan men’s national cricket team continues to receive financial and logistical support, the women's team has been completely sidelined.

"This disparate treatment, in which the Afghan Men's National Cricket Team receives financial and logistical support while the Women's National Team does not, appears to violate both the Olympic Charter and the ICC's own anti-discrimination rules. In October 1999, during the Taliban's previous rule, the International Olympic Committee suspended Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee until 2003 on the grounds that the Taliban was barring women from competing in sports," HRW said.

A local media platform has reached out to the ICC for a response. Previously, Jay Shah reaffirmed the ICC’s commitment to supporting cricket in Afghanistan while acknowledging the challenges faced by Afghan women cricketers.

"We are committed to supporting cricket development through the Afghanistan Cricket Board while recognizing the challenges facing Afghan women's cricket, including the concerns of players living in exile," Shah recently told the BBC.

"The ICC is also reviewing certain communications concerning Afghanistan women's cricket and exploring how they can be supported within ICC's legal and constitutional framework. Our focus is on constructive dialogue and viable solutions that safeguard the best interests of all Afghan cricketers," he added.

Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), an ICC member, also called for action against the Afghanistan Cricket Board over the issue.