Afghanistan’s chief selector and former cricketer Asadullah Khan has called out Australia for refusing to play bilateral series against his country, accusing them of dragging politics into cricket and disrespecting the “gentleman’s spirit” of the game.
“Our women’s cricket team hasn’t played any matches in recent years, and this will take time to change. But Cricket Australia and other Boards linking cricket with politics — I don’t think that’s a good sign for the gentleman’s game,” Khan told PTI Videos in an exclusive interview.
Khan’s remarks come after Cricket Australia backed out of a T20I series against Afghanistan last year, citing the Taliban’s continued restrictions on women.
Khan admitted the challenges faced by women’s cricket in Afghanistan but said isolating the country was a step in the wrong direction.
“The way Australia and other countries are treating Afghanistan cricket — there are cultural factors involved, and the nation hasn’t yet accepted some changes. But refusing to play with us because of that will only hurt men’s cricket too,” he said.
He was firm in defending Afghanistan’s right to compete, saying their rise in international cricket was built on performance, not privilege.
“We didn’t get ICC full-member status as a charity; we earned it through our performance and credibility. Our spin attack is the best in the world, and our winning percentage is impressive. If, despite all this, some countries are politicising our cricket, it’s like bringing a great team down,” he said.
Khan thanked India for standing by Afghanistan during its climb up world cricket.
“We are thankful to all teams that continue to play with us, especially India. The BCCI has played a major role, not just by providing us grounds but also through the IPL, where eight of our players compete in the world’s best league,” he said.
Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup, Khan sounded confident about Afghanistan’s chances.
“I would credit Rashid Khan and the Afghanistan Cricket Board for building a strong unit with the few matches we’ve had. Our opening pair is settled, the middle order is improving, and our spin and pace attacks are among the best in the world. We genuinely believe we can win the (T20) World Cup,” he asserted.
He admitted Afghanistan’s struggles in red-ball cricket but said the team’s progress is held back by lack of opportunities.
“Tests are still new for us, and we haven’t had enough opportunities. We’re getting fewer matches, which makes it difficult to develop consistency in this format,” he said.
As the director of the Gulf Cup, a youth tournament celebrating its 25th edition this year, Khan said the competition continues to play a key role in developing young players.
“It’s a great honour to be part of the Gulf Cup 2025, especially in its 25th year. This tournament has played a vital role in developing cricket across the Gulf region and beyond,” he said.
