CSA Defends Decision to Play Afghanistan Despite Taliban's Policies

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has decided not to follow Australia’s lead in boycotting matches against Afghanistan in response to the Taliban's oppressive treatment of its citizens, particularly women and girls. In a statement released on Thursday, CSA argued that "the advancement of one gender should not undermine the rights of the other," justifying their decision to allow the men’s ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah to proceed. Afghanistan secured a convincing six-wicket win in the first match of the series.

CSA’s stance aims to protect Afghan cricketers from being punished for the actions of their government, seeking to avoid "secondary persecution for the actions of the Taliban." Despite the harsh regime’s policies, CSA emphasised the importance of not holding players accountable for their government's conduct.

The situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the Taliban took control in August 2021, with women facing increasing restrictions, including bans on attending secondary school or participating in cricket. This oppressive environment stands in stark contrast to South Africa, where, despite challenges like gender-based violence, the state does not enforce such policies. CSA highlighted their commitment to narrowing the gender gap in sports, citing the success of their women’s team, who reached the T20 World Cup final in 2022, as proof of progress.

CSA's statement on Thursday reaffirmed its continued collaboration with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) despite the Taliban's influence. The board argued that punishing Afghan cricket players for their government’s misdeeds would have little effect on the regime, saying, “gender advocacy in cricket should never be advanced by meting out punishment on innocent cricket administrators and players.”

However, questions linger about the extent of the Taliban's influence within Afghan cricket. Reports suggest that the regime has been involved with the ACB since their takeover, and that cricket has become entangled in the power struggle between pro-sport factions and more hardline elements within the Taliban. Some fear that cricket, like music and dancing, could eventually be banned.

CSA’s stance differs significantly from the international boycott that helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa. During apartheid, only white players could represent the country in cricket, despite players of all races participating at lower levels. In a rare instance of protest, South African cricketers briefly walked off the field during a trial match in 1971 to object to the exclusion of black and brown players from an upcoming tour to Australia. Nevertheless, apartheid policies continued until the 1990s, with South Africa’s international isolation playing a small but crucial role in ending the regime.

While apartheid-era South Africa and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan have stark differences, both share a history of oppressive policies. Yet, CSA maintains that punishing Afghanistan’s cricketers for their government’s actions is not the solution. Although South Africa’s cricketing past was marred by racial inequality, CSA now strives for equality and progress, rejecting the idea of excluding Afghan players based on their government’s policies.

Unlike the Taliban, South Africa may still have remnants of outdated views regarding women in sports, but such sentiments do not extend to outright bans on women’s participation. In contrast, Afghan women face severe restrictions, a grim reality that CSA seeks to address through engagement, rather than isolation.