Will the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allow the Afghanistan men’s cricket team to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Games in the absence of a women’s team? IOC President Thomas Bach said the governing body would continue to “monitor very carefully” the level of access and support for women to play sport in the war-torn country, which is under the rule of Taliban since August 2021.
The question of Afghanistan was put to Bach on Monday at a press conference in Mumbai, immediately after IOC members voted in favor of T20 cricket being featured at the Los Angeles Games in five years. As part of its presentation, officials from the Los Angeles local organizing committee stressed the importance of gender equality for the Games while recommending cricket, as well as baseball/softball, six-man lacrosse and flag soccer as team sports. Throughout its presentation at LA28, the ICC also highlighted inclusiveness as a key issue.
Afghanistan is the only full member country without a women’s cricket team, despite this being a key standard for ICC membership. Afghanistan was granted full member status in 2017 with the understanding that the country would create pathways for girls to play consultant cricket. Nevertheless, the cultural sensitivities of the time meant that progress was slow. In 2020, the ACB created a group of 25 contracted female cricketers, but 22 of them moved to Australia after the Taliban took power.
An ICC working group, led by Vice President Imran Khwaja, met with Taliban officials to discuss the situation and recommended to the ICC that instead of penalizing the ACB, the discussion should continue in the hope to find an answer. The ICC board, which met in July, largely accepted this advice, maintaining the ultimate intention of helping girls play cricket in Afghanistan.
The IOC has yet to allow Afghan athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris and has warned the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) that it risks suspension if access to the sport for women continues to be restricted. This moment was reiterated by James Macleod, Head of Olympic Solidarity and Relations with the IOC National Olympic Committees. Macleod spoke with the Taliban…
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