CA boss responds to Afghan BBL threat

Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley has defended the decision to pull out from the series against Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters in response to the backlash from Afghan officials and players, Hockley declared “basic human rights is not politics” while confirming Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan was “always welcome in the BBL.”

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Khan was one of a number of players who threatened not to return to the BBL, a threat also issued by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, which labelled CA’s move as “pathetic”.

But Hockley was adamant CA has been consistent over such issues, like the stance it took in withdrawing from a one-off Test against Afghanistan due to the ruling Taliban’s stance on women’s rights.

“It is clearly a very sad and challenging situation,” Hockley said.

“We did not take this decision lightly and consulted widely, including with our government.

“We were hopeful of playing the series and have been in regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board; however, announcements by the Taliban in late November and late December signalling the deterioration of basic human rights for women in Afghanistan led to our decision to withdraw from these games. Basic human rights is not politics.”

Afghanistan remains the only ICC full member nation without a women’s team, having been exempt from the rule that demands having one for inclusion as a Test nation, and has no active women’s program.

“You can only be in support of equality really. That’s the matter of the issue. If that means players have different stances, that’s always going to happen,” he said.

“I think equality above all is what matters. I think it’s a conversation which needs to be had and CA is doing the right thing. The important thing with all this is action follows and change comes.

“It’s an issue which is much bigger than cricket.”

Hockley said the BBL will always be open to Khan where he has been a poster boy not only for the Adelaide Strikers but the competition.

“We acknowledge and applaud Rashid Khan’s and other Afghanistan cricketers’ comments at the time condemning the Taliban’s decision to ban women from universities,” Hockley said.

“Rashid will always be welcome in the BBL.

“The Australian Cricketers Association was not involved in discussions around the decision but also took a supportive position over CA’s stance.”

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