On the face of it, Australia’s withdrawal from a One-Day International series against Afghanistan might appear to be the right thing to do, human rights trumping sport. But in cricket, as in life, the Emerson Principle applies. “The louder he talked of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons,” as Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American philosopher said in the 19th century.
So it is now time to count the spoons.
For one, the matches are not in Afghanistan, but in the UAE. For another, it will affect Afghanistan’s cricket rather than the political fortunes of the Taliban who are not overly worried about what the world thinks of them.
There is too a pattern here that is emerging in Australian cricket — the reluctance to play teams like Afghanistan and Bangladesh. What would have been the inaugural Test with Afghanistan, in Hobart, was ‘postponed’ in November 2021. A tour of Bangladesh was called off in 2015 for “security reasons” (South Africa, India and Pakistan all toured that year), and three years later Bangladesh’s tour of Australia was cancelled for “financial reasons”.
Heart-warming
Afghanistan’s cricketing evolution is one of sport’s most romantic and heart-warming stories. Out of the ashes of war and suffering and relief camps, cricket began as a distraction, and then became more serious and focused. The cricketing world willed them on as they made their international debut in 2009. Less than a decade later they had Test status.
At the time they had no women’s team, and the International Cricket Council showed little interest — according to some locals – in pushing for one. No one complained.
The elevation of the men’s team was welcomed as reward for sheer doggedness and spirit. The Taliban were said to favour men’s cricket, but when Kabul fell to them in August 2021, women were banned from playing cricket because, as a spokesmen put it, “it is not necessary for women to play cricket.”
Three pioneering women cricketers who were exiled in Canada, said the International Cricket Council had not lifted a finger to help them. Australia themselves played Afghanistan in the World T20, sandwiched between their two boycotts, of the one-off Test and the series now. So, for about three and a half hours, the Taliban were acceptable.
Was Afghanistan given Test status too early? There was no first class cricket at home, no women’s cricket, and the heart rather than the head guided that decision. Yet, the country has won three of the six Tests played, beating Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Ireland. However, India apart, no top side – Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand – have deigned to play them.
The fact remains, however, that human rights is an issue in Afghanistan, and there is serious concern about the Taliban’s ban on women’s education. Australia’s action might shine some light on this.
But it is useful to remember that star player Rashid Khan displayed extraordinary courage when he, and fellow-players like Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib condemned the Taliban ban on women’s education as soon as the announcement was made. When he took the field for The Hundred tournament in England, Rashid had the original flag of Afghanistan painted on his face (and not the new Taliban flag). His stand has been one of courage and conviction — not the words that come readily when discussing Australia’s stand.
T20 franchise cricket has come as a boon for Afghanistan. Players like Rashid Khan (who claimed 29 wickets in the three Tests Afghanistan won), Mohammed Nabi, and Naveen-ul-Haq have a platform to showcase their talents. Rashid is a world-class leg spinner who was good enough to captain his country in Tests at 19.
Rashid and his colleagues have threatened to pull out of Australia’s Big Bash League, accusing them of “politicising” sport. While sport and politics cannot be separated, selective concern must be called out. Cricket is Afghanistan’s one source of happiness, providing a sense of purpose to a country buffeted as much by the political designs of Western powers as by the religious zeal of their own people.
Cricket is forced to pay for the narrow-mindedness of political leaders.
Would England or India refuse to tour Australia in protest against that country’s human rights record? According to an Amnesty International report last year, “The rights of Indigenous peoples, refugees and asylum seekers continue to be violated….”
At the United Nations Human Rights council’s periodic review, Australia were urged to “step up your action to promote the Human Rights of Indigenous people.”
And so we keep counting the spoons…