Cricket Scotland Suspends Bilateral Cricket Ties With Afghanistan

Cricket Scotland has officially suspended all bilateral cricketing engagements with Afghanistan, restricting fixtures strictly to ICC-mandated global tournaments. The decision comes as a direct response to human rights concerns and restrictions on women and girls under the Taliban administration.

Scope of Restriction: Scotland will not arrange, host, or participate in any bilateral series or tri-series featuring Afghanistan's men's team. They will only play against Afghanistan when required by official ICC competition schedules or official warm-up matches.

Core Reasons: The Cricket Scotland Board cited the worsening humanitarian situation and treatment of women in Afghanistan, asserting that the move aligns with their strategic priority to promote gender equality and grow women’s and girls' cricket.

Trigger Event: The decision followed approaches from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) requesting training facilities in Scotland and discussions around the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), both of which were declined.

Player Participation & NOCs: Scottish players are not barred from playing in franchise tournaments like the APL. Cricket Scotland confirmed it will issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) if the league receives ICC sanction, but clarified that individual player participation does not constitute an endorsement of the Afghan regime.

Global Alignment: With this policy, Scotland joins Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in taking a formal stance against bilateral cricket with Afghanistan until meaningful progress is made on women's rights.