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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jonathan Liew

Dignity and humanity of Afghan women must be worth more than game of cricket

An Afghan woman with her cricket bat in Kabul.
An Afghan woman with her cricket bat in Kabul. Female participation in sport has been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Photograph: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

“There’s all types of lines you can draw. We’ve drawn a line.” So explained Mike Baird, the chair of Cricket Australia, last month in explaining the governing body’s stance on playing against Afghanistan, the country that has just banned women from looking out of windows.

According to a new decree from the Taliban government, new buildings must not be constructed with windows through which women can be seen. Existing buildings with windows must be walled up or covered. “Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the government.

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