Cricket South Africa defends decision to engage with Afghanistan amid boycott calls

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has reconfirmed its commitment to maintaining bilateral fixtures with Afghanistan, despite increasing calls to boycott the nation due to the Taliban government's treatment of women. The announcement, made on Thursday, seeks to clarify CSA's stance amid mounting pressure from various activist groups.

The decision comes in light of criticisms from organizations such as Lawyers for Human Rights, which argue that engaging with Afghanistan's men's cricket team could implicitly endorse the oppressive policies of the Taliban. Nevertheless, CSA has opted for a nuanced approach to the complex situation.

In its official statement, CSA emphasized its unwavering belief in gender equity and the equal recognition of women's cricket. However, it firmly opposes penalizing Afghan cricket players for the actions of their government. 

"CSA remains mindful that gender equity should never come at the expense of one gender over another. We recognize that advocating for the advancement of one gender should not undermine the rights of the other. CSA believes there is no justification for subjecting Afghan cricket players - both male and female - to secondary persecution for the actions of the Taliban. We will continue to engage with member countries within the formal structures of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to address this matter," the statement said.

The cricket board asserts that Afghan cricket players—both male and female—should not face secondary persecution due to the Taliban's policies. The organization plans to engage with other member countries within the formal structures of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to address these critical issues.

This stance aligns with the ICC's cautious approach regarding Afghanistan, which remains the only Full Member without a women's team. In contrast to Cricket Australia’s decision to halt bilateral engagements with Afghanistan, CSA believes isolating the Afghan men's team would not effectively foster change.

"Gender advocacy in cricket should never be advanced by meting out punishment on innocent cricket administrators and players for the misdemeanors of a regime that stands to lose nothing from that punishment," its statement added.

CSA drew parallels to South Africa's own history of sporting isolation during the apartheid era, arguing that sports bans were not the primary catalysts for societal change, but rather economic sanctions played a more significant role in dismantling the apartheid system. Furthermore, CSA acknowledged the progress made by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in promoting women's cricket prior to the Taliban's ban on female participation in sports in August 2021.

"Any measures we consider must take into account the progress made by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in promoting women's cricket prior to the Taliban's ban on female participation in sports in August 2021," the statement stated.

It is worth noting that South Africa and Afghanistan are currently competing in a three-match ODI series, with the Afghan Atalans securing a historic victory in the series opener during a low-scoring encounter.