Campaigners are calling for a boycott of Ireland's five-match cricket series against Afghanistan, which began this week, urging spectators to wear pink to protest the Taliban regime's severe restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. The series is set to feature protests at the matches in Bready and Stormont.
Human rights advocates and former international cricketers have expressed concern over the series, with some arguing that Ireland should follow the lead of England and Australia, which have refused to play Afghanistan outside of ICC tournaments. These nations have cited the Taliban's "worst violation of women's rights anywhere on earth." The Taliban's return to power in 2021 led to the shutdown of all women's sports, including cricket, with officials stating that women should not play sports where they might be exposed.
"The state of human rights in Afghanistan, and especially the absence of the most fundamental rights of women, should be on everyone's mind as the men's team take on Afghanistan's men's team in cricket," stated a representative from The Women's Resource & Development Agency. "There are legitimate questions as to whether Cricket Ireland should allow such an opportunity to a team which represents a state in which women are second class citizens at best."
Former Ireland international Janice Walsh called for the series to be canceled, stating, "We all sit around and complain about their appalling treatment of their women’s cricket team, and women in general, but it’s time we did something about it. Ireland needs to stand up and be counted."
Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Sarah Keane acknowledged in March a feeling of "moral discomfort" regarding the decision to invite the Afghan team, a decision made before she assumed her role. However, she also noted that not playing the matches could cause the issue to be overlooked. Keane has since been appointed to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) special taskforce for the Afghan women's refugee team, which aims to participate in official qualifying events by 2030. Twenty Afghan women cricketers have been granted sanctuary in Australia and are lobbying for international recognition.
An Amnesty International report from June highlighted new codes in Afghanistan that remove women's consent in marriage, grant male relatives control over marital arrangements, and reduce avenues to escape abusive unions. The report also noted that the de facto age of consent for marriage had been reduced in some cases to as young as eight or nine, with silence after puberty being interpreted as agreement to marriage, increasing the risk of coercion.
Cricket Ireland has stated that appropriate security measures are in place for the series, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland indicated that a "proportionate policing plan" will be in effect to ensure safety during any potential protests. Authorities also affirmed the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, while noting these rights are balanced against the need to uphold the rights of others and maintain public safety.