Standing strong on the board’s position of not playing bilateral games with Afghanistan, Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman Mike Baird could not be swayed by outgoing ICC Chairman Greg Barclay’s slanted view on the issue. It would be remembered that Barclay, who stepped down on December 1, criticized the Australian cricket board as being selective in its approach to Afghanistan, using the int countries only during global tournaments as an exception.
In one of his interviews with UK Newspaper, Barclay said, “If you want to do a political statement, do not play them at all—not even in a World Cup. Fine, you might lose a semi-final, but principles should be ones that are absolute and not conditional.”
Baird, responding to Barclay’s comments, would go on to uphold Cricket Australia’s position on sponsorship by reiterating that the Board supports women displaced as a result of the Taliban’s restrictions from playing sports. Baird mentioned another initiative, where on January 30, the Afghanistan Women’s XI would play a landmark match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval in Melbourne before the Ashes Test at the MCG.
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“I read those comments today, and it is the first time I have come across those views in any forum,” Baird said. “He is entitled to that opinion and we wish him well in whatever else he does, but we stand proudly by our decision. Our focus is still on supporting Afghani women’s cricket in Australia, and that match coming up will be really a celebration of achievement and progress in the women’s game.”
Baird added, “Every board draws its own lines. We have made our decision, and we are proud of it. The event in January will shine a spotlight on women’s cricket in this country and around the world.”