Citing Taliban, Australia nixes Afghanistan cricket series

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia has pulled out of an upcoming men’s one-day international cricket series against Afghanistan. Cricket Australia cites more restrictions on women’s rights imposed by the Taliban government. Australia was set to meet Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates for three matches in March. But following consultation with the Australian government and other groups, Cricket Australia says it canceled the series. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, women were banned from playing sports on the grounds that doing so would contravene Islamic laws.