Written by Yesterday, the Taliban’s head of the cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, reportedly said women would not play cricket, or any other sport, under the new regime in Afghanistan. While it was not a surprising announcement, it is still heartbreaking.
The tragedy that will be unfolding in Afghanistan will be this: Women will be marginalized, isolated, beaten, treated as a lower class, will be blocked access to almost everything to include education, will not have any opportunities or dreams, and will not be able to teach their children how to dream.
All progress for Afghan women and girls in sports, education, and society over the last 20 years is quickly evaporating. The Taliban is not just quietly doing this to women and girls, they are openly and proudly saying “I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket” to the world. If the Taliban continues their grip on Afghanistan, this will be the end of the Afghan girls and women in sports story for a long time, in the form of years or decades. Generations of potential athletes in all sports will be lost if the Taliban maintains control.
I know that this might not seem like the most important headline coming out of Afghanistan, but it is important for people to know as it impacts all athletes and sports in Afghanistan. Sports is a pillar of society and can positively influence change in communities, regions, and even countries. Coaches, athletes, sports fans, and the sports community need to elevate Afghan girls and women’s voices so they can be heard.
One such sports organization has already started this. Cricket Australia responded to the Taliban’s stance on women playing sports: “If recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test Match” and “Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level”.
Cricket Australia needs to continue in their stance and encourage others to do the same. Without this, Afghan girls and women’s’ voices will disappear forever and will not be heard. This is not just a sports issue or a problem in some far away country, it is a human rights issue that the world should be concerned about.