Australia defend scrapping Afghanistan cricket series

Australia has defended its decision to cancel a cricket series against Afghanistan following a Taliban crackdown on women's "basic human rights". Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said in a statement that "basic human rights is not politics." He added that the decision was not taken lightly and that Cricket Australia had been in regular contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board. The Australian men's team was due to face their Afghan counterparts for three one-day internationals in the United Arab Emirates in March, following a tour of India. Hockley also acknowledged the comments of Afghanistan's best-known international cricketer, Rashid Khan, who had criticized the cancellation and warned he would be "strongly considering" his future in Australia's Big Bash League. Hockley stated that Australia was committed to growing the game for women and men and hoped that better conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan would allow cricket between the countries to resume "in the not too distant future."