Cricket test between Australia and Afghanistan likely to be cancelled
Historic first test between Australia and Afghanistan likely to be cancelled as Taliban who banned cricket seize the country – after top bowler begged ‘don’t leave us in chaos’
- Cricket test match in Hobart from November 27 appears unlikely to be played
- Afghanistan is in a chaotic state after the Taliban recently took charge of nation
- Star cricketer Rashid Khan called on world leaders to intervene in moving tweet
The historic first cricket test between Australia and Afghanistan in Hobart this November appears likely to be cancelled.
Both nations were due to don their whites in Tasmania from November 27 to launch the summer of cricket down under – but given the dramatic takeover of the nation by the Taliban in recent days, professional sport isn’t a focus right now in Central Asia.
Afghanistan pin up boy Rashid Khan, well known in Australia for his electric performances in the T20 Big Bash League in recent years, spoke for many terrified locals when he pleaded for global help in a tweet, which has since gone viral.
‘Dear world leaders,’ Khan, regarded by many as the best T20 bowler on the planet, wrote to his legions of social media followers.
The historic test match between Australia and Afghanistan in Hobart in November is unlikely to go ahead (pictured, Pat Cummins celebrates a wicket last January)
The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has thrown the nation into chaos (pictured, Taliban fighters in Kabul)
The tweet from star cricketer Rashid Khan asking for world leaders to help the people of Afghanistan
‘My country is in chaos, thousands of innocent people, including children and women, get martyred every day, houses and properties being destructed.
‘Don’t leave us in chaos. Stop killing Afghans and destroying Afghanistan. We want peace.’
Cricket Australia has diplomatically chosen not to approach sporting figureheads in the embattled nation about the status of the test match later this year.
‘Our thoughts are with the people of Afghanistan, our friends at the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the Afghanistan team during these challenging times,’ a CA spokesperson said.
When the Taliban last took over Afghanistan, cricket was banned as it stopped men from religious prayer, according to the Courier Mail.
In remarkable scenes, some rogue troops defiantly started playing their favourite sport — sometimes in the snow outside the capital Kabul.
The problem for Afghanistan’s home based cricketers following the takeover will be logistically, namely who will pay their salaries and organise local competitions as they look to fine-tune their preparations for the tour to Australia.
Sadly, it now all appears to be a pipe dream as a lack of government rule sees chaos destined to reign.
In recent days, the Taliban dramatically recaptured the Afghan capital of Kabul after 20 years in exile.
On Tuesday morning, Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed Australia won’t send planes into Afghanistan’s Kabul airport while it is engulfed by chaos as people attempt to flee the Taliban.
Dramatic videos have emerged of people swarming Kabul’s airport to try and get on military evacuation flights.
Footage has shown people clinging to planes taking off, with some seen falling to their deaths.
World cricket superstar Rashid Khan (pictured right) fears for the future of Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover
The Taliban have forcibly taken over Afghanistan for the first time in 20 years, with scores of locals fearing for their lives (pictured, a Taliban fighter in the capital Kabul)
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