ICC to ban Afghanistan from international cricket? Here is what Geoff Allardice said

The governing body of international cricket (ICC) has decided to wait and watch on the developments in Afghanistan but will discuss the game’s fate in the country after the T20 World Cup, ICC acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said on Sunday.

Afghanistan is on the verge of facing isolation after the country’s Taliban takeover in August, with Cricket Australia cancelling the one-off Test in Hobart next month after no clarification from the new government on the women’s cricket in the country.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is committed to women’s cricket but there are no instructions from the government.

“Our primary function is to support the development of cricket in that country through the member board,” Allardice told a virtual news conference ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup which begins on Oct. 17.

“We have said all along that we are waiting to see how things unfold under the different regime in that country.”

“The ICC board will consider it when they next meet which is looking like at the end of the T20 World Cup.”

Afghanistan will begin their Twenty20 World campaign against a qualifier in Sharjah on Oct. 25.

Australia test captain Tim Paine said teams might refuse to play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup, but Allardice said there was no doubt over their participation in the event.

“They are a full member of the ICC and the team is preparing for the event at the moment and will be playing in Group B,” he said.

“As far as their participation in the event, it’s proceeding as normal.”