According to SBS TV in Australia, a Taliban spokesman has stated that women's sports will be outlawed in Afghanistan, notably women's cricket.
“In cricket, they may find themselves in a situation where their face and body are exposed." According to the network, Ahmadullah Wasiq, the Taliban's cultural commission deputy director, "Islam does not allow women to be seen like this."
“We live in the media era, so there will be photos and videos, and people will watch them. Women are not allowed to play cricket or other sports that expose them under Islam or the Islamic Emirate.”
Wasiq told SBS earlier this month that the Taliban would allow men's cricket to continue and that the men's national squad will be allowed to travel to Australia for a test match in November.
The Taliban's decision on women's sport is "deeply concerning," according to Australia's Sports Minister Richard Colbeck, who has encouraged organizations like the International Cricket Council to intervene.
“It is unacceptable to exclude women from the sport at any level,” Colbeck said in a statement. “We call on international sports organizations, including the International Cricket Council, to speak out against this heinous decision.”
Several athletes from Afghanistan's women's soccer team have been granted permits to live in Australia and quarantined due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Tuesday, the Taliban proclaimed an all-male interim administration for Afghanistan, consisting of veterans of the Taliban's hardline reign in the 1990s and the 20-year war against the US-led coalition.
A policy statement issued in conjunction with the Cabinet announcement attempted to assuage the anxieties of Afghanistan's neighbors and the rest of the world. Still, it was unlikely to assuage the fears of women, who were denied a single appointment.
The statement promised to defend the rights of minorities and the poor, as well as to provide education “to all countrymen within the Sharia framework.” The three-page statement made no mention of women.
Last Saturday, Taliban special troops dressed in camouflage fired their rifles into the air to end a women's rights protest march in Kabul.
Taliban fighters reportedly used whips and clubs on female protestors on Wednesday, according to CNN.
