‘Not necessary,’ Afghan women to be banned from playing sports by Taliban

The Taliban spokesperson has said that the Afghan women, including the country’s women’s cricket team, will be prohibited from participating in sports under the new Taliban regime, The Gurdian has reported.

Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy chairman of the Taliban’s culture commission, claimed in an interview with Australian network SBS that women’s sport was neither appropriate nor required.

“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,” Wasiq said. “In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this”.

“It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate [Afghanistan] do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.”

On September 7, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced members of the new interim government in Afghanistan. Afghanistan will be led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund while the group’s co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy Afghan leader.