Australia and Afghanistan Remain Cold on a Bilateral Series

Australia’s cricket future with Afghanistan remains uncertain despite Cricket Australia (CA) joining forces with UNICEF Australia, championing gender equality through the “Until Every Girl Can Play” campaign.

This partnership aims to drive awareness and support for young girls’ access to sport worldwide, starting with fundraisers at the Perth Test and the women’s Ashes Test at the MCG in January.

CA, however, has taken a firm stance against scheduling men’s bilateral matches with Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights, canceling three series in recent years.

Though Australia’s Future Tours Programme currently includes a men’s Test and three T20Is against Afghanistan in July 2026, whether those fixtures will go ahead is still in question.

Afghanistan and Australia have not played a bilateral game since the incident, choosing to face each other only in ICC-sanctioned events.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley emphasized CA’s ongoing support for Afghan female cricketers who have relocated to Australia.

The group has appealed to the ICC to help establish a refugee team based in Australia, given the lack of a national program under Afghanistan’s current regime.

UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart, while neutral on political matters, echoed support for sports participation globally, especially for Afghan women now in Australia.

With CA’s commitment to promoting gender equality in sport, Afghanistan’s future on Australia’s cricket schedule remains under the spotlight.