"It is unfortunate" - Afghanistan coach Lance Klusener reacts to Cricket Australia's ultimatum for one-off Test
Afghanistan head coach Lance Klusener has given his opinion on Cricket Australia's potentially canceling the one-off Test against them later this year. The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and their misogynistic attitude towards women's cricket means Australia may withdraw from hosting the men's team.
While the Afghan cricket board has backed women's cricket in the country, the Taliban opposes it. Cricket Australia has declared that women's cricket growth is equally critical and could abandon the one-off Test in Hobart if not supported.
Less than 20 minutes after the ACB announced their squad for the T20 World Cup, Rashid Khan conveyed his decision to step down as captain over team selection.
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ACB chairman Azizullah Fazli responded by stating they would find ways for the Taliban to allow women to play cricket. Meanwhile, Lance Klusener believes it's unfortunate that Cricket Australia might consider canceling the fixture as it will be a landmark moment for Afghanistan. Klusener told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview:
"It is 'unfortunate'. It would have been a huge occasion, but every game for us is an away game and we are totally in the hands of the country we go to play in, Australia or the UAE or wherever."
Lance Klusener responds to voices calling to ban Afghanistan from ICC tournaments
Klusener believes that people calling for Afghanistan's banishment from global tournaments must wait and see what the new government's policies indicate. The 50-year old thinks such decisions required a lot of contemplation. He said:
"We’re just going to have to wait and see. This government is barely two weeks old and it’s not about jumping to conclusions. These decisions will take time, to see what their stance is and what their policies are, then people can judge for themselves."
Australian Test captain Tim Paine has remarked that it's hard to see Afghanistan participating in the T20 World Cup and remaining active in international cricket. However, Asghar Afghan hit back at the keeper-batsman for his disrespectful comments.
Nevertheless, the team are likely to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE. Afghanistan are with Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in Group Two and will open their campaign against one of the qualifying sides.