DUBAI, Nov 17: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja will be a part of the ICC Working Group appointed by the game’s governing body to review the status of cricket in Afghanistan in light of the recent political developments in the country.
The group, comprising Imran Khwaja (Chair), Ross McCollum, Lawson Naidoo and Raja, will report back to the ICC Board over the coming months.
Afghanistan cricket was plunged into uncertainty due to the drastic changes in the political landscape following the takeover of the country by the Taliban.
Taliban’s opposition to women’s cricket also led to the postponement of the one-off Test of the men’s team against Australia.
ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “The ICC Board is committed to continuing to support Afghanistan Cricket to develop both men’s and women’s cricket moving forward.
“We believe the most effective way for this to happen will be to support our members in their efforts to achieve this through its relationship with the new government.”
Afghanistan, however, fought against all odds and grabbed a spot in the Super 12s for the 2022 T20 World Cup after winning two games out of five in the recently-concluded editions of the ICC event.
“Cricket is fortunate to be in the position to influence positive change in Afghanistan with the national men’s team a source of great pride and unity in a country with a young population that has experienced more upheaval and change than most,” Barclay said.
“We should protect that status and continue to try to influence change through the ACB but will continue to closely monitor the situation and take any decisions accordingly.”
In other updates, the ICC Board decided to continue “the ICC World Test Championship in its current form of a nine-team league over a two-year period with a final between the top two teams at the conclusion.”
The Board has also accepted Chief Executives’ Committee’s recommendation that the primary avenue for qualification for the event is based on rankings at a pre-determined cut-off date with the 10 highest-ranked teams on the ODI Rankings qualifying automatically, and the remainder being determined via a global qualifier.
ACB hints at inclusion of women in Afghan cricket
In a positive sign for women’s cricket in Afghanistan, their country’s cricket board on Wednesday shared a picture of two girls trying their hands in the game, hinting at the inclusion of females in the sports in their nation.
In a picture posted by ACB on their official twitter handle, two girls can be seen playing cricket in an open field, which shows that the board is receptive to the idea of women’s participation in cricket in the country. (Agencies)
