‘Afghan male cricketers are brave, situation is tricky, they know things are not correct for Afghan women…’ – Jonathan Trott | Cricket News

Afghanan coach Jonathan Trott, while putting Afghanan on the cricket map with its giant-killing men’s team, said his players knew “full well” things were “not correct” in their home country, with engaging with Afghanan team has come under criticism for women’s rights under Taliban rule.While a team in exile of Afghan women cricketers trains in Australia, female participation in sport is banned Taliban who returned to power in 2021. The regime allows men to play sport.
However the situation for women’s education and sheer freedom of movement has detiorated, which stirred up a dilemma in Australia and England over whether they ought to be playing Afghanan at all. While England were packed off the Afghans, Australia face them in a must-win in an hour’s time.
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The team at the centre of this debate – are not unaffected, but rather find themselves in a “tricky situation”, Trott said.
Afghanan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, center, and teammates celebrate after winning the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against England, in Lahore, Pakan, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo)
Trott told the BBC: “Hopefully we can make a difference. I know the players want to do that. They have expressed that on their social media platforms.”
In December when the Taliban stopped medical education for women, the likes of Rashid Khan, Md Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz had posted against the restrictions on social media, asking their government to see sense.
Trott reiterated that the men’s team were not indifferent or uncaring on the issue. “All they are doing is asking for equality and trying to grow the game of cricket, for fairness and an uplift in their country,” he told the BBC.Story continues below this ad
‘Under Taliban rule, there has been an assault on women’s rights. Women have been banned from parks and universities. The Taliban also raided the homes of female athletes and many women’s cricketers fled Afghanan for their safety,’ SMH and ABC highlighted, adding, ‘The men’s team has been allowed to continue to compete on the world stage, despite the banning of its women’s team being an apparent breach of International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations.’
“These guys are brave,” Trott said. “They know the difference between right and wrong. It is a real tricky situation for them. They know who they are playing for and representing. We work hard to bring joy to the country and the guys are passionate, brave and proud of being able to do that, but knowing full well that there are things that are not correct,” he was quoted as telling BBC.
Azmatullah Omarzai rides on the shoulders of an Afghanan teammate as they celebrate after winning the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against England in Lahore, Pakan. (AP Photo)
Boycotting the men’s team has been a tricky decision. England captain Jos Buttler had said he had spoken to Afghanan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi about the issue, adding he was pleased the match would go ahead because a boycott “would not have the desired impact”.
“I am very sad for the women and girls in Afghanan who are going through a very tough time at the moment. We are all very aware of that. We hope the game of cricket they love watching and we love playing will give some hope,” he was quoted as saying.Story continues below this ad
Trott told BBC that as someone born in South Africa, that was banned fir its apartheid regime, he understood the nuance. But he wasn’t in favour of punishing the Afghanan men’s team for their government policy.
“I can see the world’s concern. I am concerned. I have daughters who play cricket. I am proud of where I come from and the change the country made for the betterment of everybody. Hopefully one day I can see that in Afghanan,” he told BBC.
Meanwhile, Australia who have refused to play bilaterals against Afghanan were prepared to play Afghanan for a spot in the semi-finals. Assant Miner for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts urged the International Cricket Council to enforce its own rules against the Afghanan Cricket Board, in a statement to Sydney Morning Herald.
“Cricket Australia has made its own decision about Australia’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy. It was the first body to take a stand and refuse to play bilateral matches against Afghanan. It should be applauded for that. The ICC’s own rules make it clear that Test-playing nations must support women’s cricket. The ICC should enforce its own rules against the Afghanan cricket authorities. We will not stand and allow the ongoing situation in Afghanan to become a ‘new normal’. The Australian government has been a world leader in the global condemnation of Afghanan’s revolting repression of women,” he wrote.