The Afghan men's team are scheduled to play the T20 World Cup from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE has begun and the Mumbai Indians (MI) side lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the first game of phase 2. Will fans enjoyed the awesome encounter between the two most successful teams in IPL history, the news from Afghanistan got some people's moods sour.
Apparently, the UAE leg of the IPL 2021 will not be telecasted in Afghanistan and the reason for the same is shocking. It has been reported that the IPL could possibly have 'anti-Islam contents' that could be aired during the programming.
Afghanistan, the country now under the Taliban, has banned most forms of entertainment — including many sports.
The women in the country were completely banned from playing any sport and former Afghanistan Cricket Board media manager and journalist, M Ibrahim Momand, sent out a tweet stating that due to possible anti-Islam content, girls dancing and the attendance of barred hair women in the Islamic Emirates of the Taliban, IPL broadcast is banned in the country.
While they have shown they do not mind men playing cricket, Bashir Ahmad Rustamzai, Afghanistan's new director-general for sports, had last week declined to answer the question if women will be allowed to play sports.
The issues had even led Cricket Australia to threaten to withdraw from the Test match they were supposed to play if women were not allowed to play cricket.
The future of Afghanistan's participation in Test matches will also hamper, as, under International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, nations must also have an active women's team.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), had, however, urged Australia not to punish its men's team and said it was “powerless to change the culture and religious environment of Afghanistan".
ACB chairman Azizullah Fazli later told SBS Radio Pashto that he is still hopeful women will be able to play and that all 25 of the women's team had chosen to remain in the country. However, a BBC report had stated that members were in hiding.
During the Taliban's first stint in power, before being ousted in 2001, they had banned most forms of entertainment — including many sports. The stadiums were used as public execution venues.
However, the sport became immensely popular over the past few decades, largely due to the cricket-mad Pakistan across the border. As for the Afghan men's team, they are now scheduled to play the T20 World Cup from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "CSK")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}