Cricket Australia rejects Usman Khawaja's plea, stands firm on 'no bilateral series with Afghanistan' stance

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley came up with a massive statement related to the bilateral series with the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. He said that they will be playing against the Rashid Khan-led side only after there will be a level of progress.

The relationship between Cricket Australia and the Afghanistan Cricket Board hasn't been great in the last few years. This is because the Australian body didn't agree to play the bilateral series against the Asian team. After all, they stated they don't want to play against a nation who don't support women.

Australia refused to play against Afghanistan thrice and this led to a massive controversy between the two teams. Various Afghanistan players then pulled out of the Big Bash League because of that but the two teams continued to play against each other in the ICC events only.

In the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan knocked out Australia from the tournament. They came up with a sensational performance with the bat and ball and went on to win the game. This was the first time that the Rashid Khan-led side beat Australia in cricket.

After that, even Australian player Usman Khawaja came up with a heartfelt message for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. He said that it was sad to see that they didn't get to play in the Australian conditions. He also congratulated Rashid Khan for the incredible feat.

With Cricket Australia refusing to play against Afghanistan, Chief Executive Nick Hockley came up with another update about the same. He first lauded the Rashid Khan-led side for reaching the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024, saying that they played with great passion and spirit.

While talking about the bilateral series, Nicky Hockley said that they have consulted stakeholders including the Australian government, and cited that they denied playing earlier on human-rights grounds. He stated:

"They [Afghanistan] had a fantastic tournament with phenomenal players, and they played with great passion and spirit. Regarding our bilateral matches, we have consulted extensively with stakeholders, including the Australian government, and chose to postpone our last couple of series with the Afghanistan Cricket Board on human-rights grounds."

We hope for a level of progress, and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket - Nick Hockley on playing against Afghanistan

Nick Hockley further talked about the relationship with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, saying that they are hopeful of reaching a stage where they will have a level of progress and will be in a situation to resume bilateral cricket. He explained:

"We maintain a close relationship and regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and want to see cricket thrive worldwide for both men and women. We hope for a level of progress, and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan at some point in the future," he concluded.