Cricket Australia maintains distance from Afghanistan bilaterals, backs Afghan women refugees

Australia has confirmed its continued support for female Afghanistan refugees while remaining cautious about scheduling bilateral cricket series against Afghanistan. The nation recently signed a partnership agreement with UNICEF Australia to promote the charity’s ‘Until Every Girl Can Play’ campaign, which focuses on gender equality.

Cricket Australia (CA) has been vocal about its stance on not scheduling men's bilateral cricket against Afghanistan due to the Taliban government's position on women's rights. This has led to CA canceling three bilateral series with Afghanistan in recent years. While Australia has faced Afghanistan in the last three limited-overs World Cups, there has been no recent bilateral cricket between the two nations.

CA has also pledged to raise funds for UNICEF at upcoming events like the Perth Test and the women’s Ashes Test at the MCG in January. The partnership highlights Australia’s commitment to supporting women’s rights, particularly in Afghanistan, where women’s access to sports remains severely restricted.

The Future Tours Programme currently lists a series between Australia and Afghanistan in July 2026, which includes one Test and three T20Is. However, whether this series takes place will depend on the political climate and developments in Afghanistan.

In the meantime, CA is supporting a group of Afghanistan female cricketers who now live and play in Australia. These players have requested assistance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to form a refugee team, as Afghanistan does not have a women’s national team due to the country’s political situation.

"We've certainly sought support in the background," said CA CEO Nick Hockley. "I've had the privilege to meet and spend some time with the players, and we are working behind the scenes on ways we can continue to support."

UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart added that UNICEF remains neutral and works with all countries, including Afghanistan, to promote participation in sports. He expressed hope that in the future, Afghan women in Australia would have the opportunity to play and participate in cricket.