8 thoughts on “The CRICKETher Weekly – Episode 147”
ICC, FIFA, IOC – blimey are we blessed with good, morally upstanding sporting bodies.
Syd pretty much nailed this Afghanistan issue. Morally it’s no different to South Africa. If anyone was in favour of the South Africa ban than they have to be in favour of banning Afghanistan (and I mean banning them, not just removing their status as a full ICC member). To take the view that banning South Africa was okay but banning Afghanistan is not is the equivalent of saying colour is important but gender is not.
Conversely, one cannot have been against the South Africa ban and in favour of an Afghanistan ban.
Both points of view are plain and simple hypocrisy.
At it stands the ICC have for months been saying, by their total lack of action (as evidenced by Afghanistan men’s team continuing to play) that gender is not important. Well at least we know where they stand.
Perhaps exasperated by the ICC’s inactivity, Cricket Australia have acted and have been consistent in their approach. In 1971 they led in refusing to play South Africa and they are leading now (albeit we don’t yet know whether they will refuse to play Afghanistan in a world event)
There is no way on earth that the Taliban will allow the formation of an Afghan women’s cricket team. The Taliban are a gang of misogynistic religious fanatics who are not going to give up their twisted interpretation of the Koran. I agree that the world cricketing community should follow Australia’s decision and boycott the Afghan men’s team. This won’t help the Afghan women, because the Taliban don’t give a sh*t about cricket anyway. But the cricket world (and the rest of the world) must do something about the appalling situation of women in Afghanistan.
♀︎🏏😻
If you want a real laugh have a read of statement issued by Afghanistan Cricket in response to the Australia decision. It would be a massive understatement to describe it as ill-informed, ill-advised, myopic and delusional. Just as South Africa operated in a parallel universe to the civilised world in 1970/80s, so it is that Afghanistan has decided to fill the void which South Africa vacated in the 1990s.
The Afghan Cricket Board is ONLY concerned about the MEN’S game. If Afghan men want to withdraw from the BBL, I say good riddance to bad rubbish. I would like to know how many Afghan men cricketers support the Taliban’s treatment of women. And if they don’t support the Taliban, then let them say so. Not once in their letter objecting to Australia’s announcement did the Afghan Cricket Board mention women’s rights. Probably because they don’t give a fig about women or their rights. It’s all about men, men, men, men, men, men, men.
♀︎🏏😻
Perhaps anyone who hasn’t grasped what is going on might like to read this BBC article.
Perhaps anyone supporting the Men’s continued participation at international level might like to square that view with women player fleeing for their lives.
CRICKETher 
ICC, FIFA, IOC – blimey are we blessed with good, morally upstanding sporting bodies.
Syd pretty much nailed this Afghanistan issue. Morally it’s no different to South Africa. If anyone was in favour of the South Africa ban than they have to be in favour of banning Afghanistan (and I mean banning them, not just removing their status as a full ICC member). To take the view that banning South Africa was okay but banning Afghanistan is not is the equivalent of saying colour is important but gender is not.
Conversely, one cannot have been against the South Africa ban and in favour of an Afghanistan ban.
Both points of view are plain and simple hypocrisy.
At it stands the ICC have for months been saying, by their total lack of action (as evidenced by Afghanistan men’s team continuing to play) that gender is not important. Well at least we know where they stand.
Perhaps exasperated by the ICC’s inactivity, Cricket Australia have acted and have been consistent in their approach. In 1971 they led in refusing to play South Africa and they are leading now (albeit we don’t yet know whether they will refuse to play Afghanistan in a world event)
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There is no way on earth that the Taliban will allow the formation of an Afghan women’s cricket team. The Taliban are a gang of misogynistic religious fanatics who are not going to give up their twisted interpretation of the Koran. I agree that the world cricketing community should follow Australia’s decision and boycott the Afghan men’s team. This won’t help the Afghan women, because the Taliban don’t give a sh*t about cricket anyway. But the cricket world (and the rest of the world) must do something about the appalling situation of women in Afghanistan.
♀︎🏏😻
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If you want a real laugh have a read of statement issued by Afghanistan Cricket in response to the Australia decision. It would be a massive understatement to describe it as ill-informed, ill-advised, myopic and delusional. Just as South Africa operated in a parallel universe to the civilised world in 1970/80s, so it is that Afghanistan has decided to fill the void which South Africa vacated in the 1990s.
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Actually, not sure one can vacate a void …. but you get the idea.
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The Afghan Cricket Board is ONLY concerned about the MEN’S game. If Afghan men want to withdraw from the BBL, I say good riddance to bad rubbish. I would like to know how many Afghan men cricketers support the Taliban’s treatment of women. And if they don’t support the Taliban, then let them say so. Not once in their letter objecting to Australia’s announcement did the Afghan Cricket Board mention women’s rights. Probably because they don’t give a fig about women or their rights. It’s all about men, men, men, men, men, men, men.
♀︎🏏😻
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/64413037
Perhaps anyone who hasn’t grasped what is going on might like to read this BBC article.
Perhaps anyone supporting the Men’s continued participation at international level might like to square that view with women player fleeing for their lives.
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Thanks for the link. Here’s hoping that the men of the ICC have read it (but I won’t hold my breath).
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I won’t hold mine. As I noted in the first few lines of my first comment, the world is not blessed with morally upstanding sports governing bodies.
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