comment: >
  
  No I meant literally.
context: Just a bit of background for those who aren't cricket followers: 
  Afghanistan and Ireland were promoted to the exclusive club of Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017. This level of membership allows for automatic qualification for certain global tournaments (this particular series was part of once such tournament) and for better access to financial income from the ICC.
  As a requirement of Full Membership, each country must have a 'pathway' for women players. At the time, Afghanistan had some sort of pathway, even if it were just on paper or in its infancy. Under the current regime, even pretending to have that sort of program would be difficult. The controversy now arises from the ICC being reluctant to reassess Afghanistan's membership level in light of them not being able to meet the requirements of Full Membership. >
  
  Thanks, that was a helpful summary, and I’m sorry the ICC won’t step up and do its job. Good on Australia though, I hope others follow suit. >
  
  Most Australian Sports have realised the the people like watching sport whether it male or female, it's only a few years where cricket/afl/league but it will grow for sure >
  
  I watch women's rugby pretty consistently.  I like strong women doing strong things. >
  
  Women's Rugby has had a great burst of growth over the last few years. The recent World Cup in New Zealand broke all sorts of viewership and ticket sales records. >
  
  We've been to a few AFLW games, it's a good day out and by far cheaper than an AFL match. >
  
  Sure it's cheaper but at the end of the day you are stuck watching AFL so is it really worth the savings? >
  
  Melbournians spilling their lattes in their rush to angrily down vote you >
  
  Can confirm, am Melbournian, spilt Latte. >
  
  How many more things can the taliban ban women from? Next they’ll just ban women in the country. >
  
  No more sex with any men, including their husbands! Sex is for men only now! >
  
  
  Sex is for men only now!
  
  It's Afghanistan, little boys are on the menu >
  
  Don't forget the goats! They're the ones in most demand over in Afghanistan. >
  
  Shit on the Taliban all you want but I don’t think racist stereotypes are the way to go… There are enough real atrocities to criticize them for. >
  
  It’s not a racist stereotype when we have a ton of documented info from former Afghan vets who witnessed the child grooming that goes on over there. The most gruesome story I’ve read detailed a story of the grandson of a village elder being kidnapped by the Taliban. He had his eyes blinded and teeth knocked out and was used as a human sex doll and left to wander once they were done. Stop defending a regressive religion and people because it feels “racist” to criticize. >
  
  Any and all atrocities committed should be criticized as I initially said. The point that is being made is that this is something that is especially committed by them. And also I was rather addressing the comment on the goats rather than the pedophiles. >
  
  This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 65%. (I'm a bot)
  
  
  Cricket Australia has pulled out of its three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to recent curbs on the rights of women to play sport in the country.
  "Following extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian Government, Cricket Australia has decided that it is unable to proceed at this time with the upcoming ICC Super League three-match Men's ODI series between Australia and Afghanistan," the statement read. "This decision follows the recent announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women's and girls' education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms."
  "CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan," the Cricket Australia statement said, adding it would "Continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country."
  
  
  Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Australia^#1 Cricket^#2 Afghanistan^#3 women^#4 play^#5 >
  
  Bravo Australia for standing up against Taliban who fail to recognize fundamental women's right to play sport. >
  
  FTFY ‘…recognize fundamental women’s rights.’ >
  
  FTFY ‘…recognize fundamental human rights.’ >
  
  "Who will never recognize" is more probable. >
  
  That’s what should’ve happened at the stupid Qatar cup >
  
  The ICC is not a domain for men. Its for men and women and the ICC should have already banned Afghanistan. At least the Ausies have a moral backbone in this. >
  
  Sports boycotts have proven to be very effective over the years - it should happen way more often. >
  
  Depends how you define effective. Effective at getting Afghanistan removed from cricket competitions like this, maybe. Effective at getting them to change their views towards women? Definitely not. The Taliban don’t really care about how they’re perceived by the rest of the world, they want to be insular so they can do what they want. >
  
  It's not just about the Taliban, if Afghanistan as a country needs to move ahead it really needs its population to grow happier, safe , develop a sense of nationalism etc. A tired and frustrated population would eventually become a major problem for the Taliban to manage and handle.
  Sports have always been a source of kinship and pride among the population.  Cricket is immensely popular in Afghanistan and provides ample distraction or an escape to the masses along with a sense of identity and a place in the global sports community. 
  These kinda bans will eventually prove a pain in the ass for the ruling government to maintain their rule. Even the Taliban don't have the power and energy to fight internally all the time. They need a reprieve and a long term strategy as well. >
  
  Yea ya kinda need the circuses after the bread. >
  
  Seriously all countries with women's rights should be pulling out. Same shit with the Football World cup, but that didn't happen either. >
  
  Australia should just send the women’s team to beat their men’s team. >
  
  I don't think anyone should be sending women there >
  
  No one is sending anyone there. The matches were to be held in UAE >
  
  ...not a great place to send women either. >
  
  it's alright... if they're on a leash. >
  
  I’ve seen Rashid Khan, Afghan all round superstar and Naveen Ul Haq giving “big talks” to Australian Cricket Board asking to keep the politics away from the game. But I haven’t heard anything from them about woman’s rights or saying a single word against gender discrimination. Pathetic. I wish these two cunts grow balls ! >
  
  If they say anything, who knows what will happen to their families, or if they'll even be allowed to represent Afghanistan.
  It's a horrible situation for the players to be in. >
  
  I understand. But why are they harshly criticising the Australian Cricket Board and threatening to not to play Big Bash League then ? It’s totally understandable why they cannot be vocal about Taliban cruelty. But why couldn’t they at least just shut the fuck up when rest of the world is responding ? >
  
  Because to them it feels like an action an action that only hurts their Afghanistan team.
  They probably feel like it does nothing to the Talibans views on women, and just hurts the development of the game in their country/ their careers. Cricket brings joy to their nation in a really rough time right now - and CA has taken that away for political reasons. >
  
  I like how Rashid Khan is threatening to never play in the BBL again as if he didn’t say that moments after leaving the BBL halfway through the season to play elsewhere and ACB are threatening to not send players to the BBL as if anyone gives a fuck lol >
  
  I love how he claims it’s “politics”, when it’s actually an issue of human rights. 
  Boycotting Afghanistan is no different to when South Africa was boycotted during apartheid. It was the right thing to do then, and it’s right thing to do now. >
  
  Thank you Cricket Australia >
  
  They should set up an aus women's vs PM 11 in Australia if there are enough Afghani players here >
  
  Afghan.
  Afghani is their currency. >
  
  That's a shawl. >
  
  Guys, Afghanistananis >
  
  Afghanistananananananus. >
  
  It's just a matter of time before the Taliban lose power and splinter like Boco Haram. Religion is a dangerous thing and these jerk offs are a prime example of that. >
  
  Here before whatabouters arrive and leave >
  
  Nice to see a nation sticking up for their principles for a change. >
  
  But we still let the Russians play in the Australian Open.. >
  
  Common Australian W >
  
  Australia: famous respector of human rights in Afghanistan >
  
  Well according to the reports they only killed male civilians. How feminist of them! >
  
  I think now's the time for the west to draw a hardline stance against all dictators and authoritarians >
  
  Hell yeah. No one interact with that country til the illegitimate government is gone.
  Man.. we think shits bad now. I cant imagine what the ramifications of the taliban being in charge will be in 10 or 20 years. >
  
  Why does anyone play against these cave men is beyond me . >
  
  This is the way >
  
  This is the way. >
  
  Caption is misleading - it was primarily in response to the "deterioration of human rights", particularly education. >
  
  It’s one thing to not be able to play a sport, but to not be able to get a formal education is absolutely atrocious. >
  
  Why did they enter at all, leave the beasts isolated >
  
  Honestly the should just host them in Australia and then give immediate asylum to every willing player and member of their family, especially the female ones. >
  
  I honestly don't understand why anyone is having any economic, cultural or social interactions with Afghanistan at all. We tried for 20 years and spent trillions of dollars trying to make them anything other than a failed theocracy. It's time for the world to turn their back on them and let them stew in their own hell. >
  
  I think you may want to look a little harder at those 20 years. We weren't exactly a guidance counselor over there. >
  
  The Taliban probably doesn’t care for the cricket team either, so not sure who Australia is sending the message to >
  
  The term is solidarity. >
  
  They're just scared to go up against the unstoppable juggernaut that is the Afghani national cricket team >
  
  Lol unlucky with the audience on this one I think >
  
  Probably nobody here knows much about cricket to know whether or not op was serious. >
  
  Good, spent 18 months fighting those Taliban cunts only for them to just hand it back without a fight thinking those monsters have changed. >
  
  I'm sure the scum will be in tears /s
  ​
  Jokes aside... great! >
  
  Cricket and football are not governed by the same organization. >
  
  So they do in fact know how to protest a major sporting event for moral reasons. It’s just that they don’t give a fuck about all the dead Indians because they weren’t women. >
  
  Wow really fucking funny how they didn't back out of the world cup in Qatar.
  Bullshit grandstanding when 3 months ago they didn't do it. >
  
  Cricket Australia doesnt run the national soccer team mate >
  
  Fifa world cup didnworst, and still everyone ignored it and played >
  
  Not true. Italy boycotted >
  
  He he >
  
  Cricket Australia probably didn't have the final say in whether to send a soccer team to Qatar, though... >
  
  TIL they play cricket in Afghanistan. >
  
  They use India as home ground now >
  
  Is that still the case? >
  
  As far as I know, they use facilities in Pak and UAE as well >
  
  I think that the Indians don't have any diplomatic relations with them after the takeover >
  
  Right, but the cricket players aren't the government. They're just cricket players >
  
  they just became aware of the taliban this week? >
  
  Prince Harry didn't kill enough of them fucks..... >
  
  Yeah well you might as well cancel in the US next because half the US gov (the republican party) is going off the deep end jihadi too and attempting the same thing in the ""former"" confederacy >
  
  Go on. Tell us why a different group of people, under a different organisations, going to a different tournament, in a different country, means this is does not matter. >
  
  Can't believe it's 2023 and things like this are still going on, shocking!!! >
  
  Wouldn’t it have been great to beat them and rub it in their faces tho? >
  
  At least they had the balls and honor to do so. I still can’t believe how many entitled Europeans flocked to Saudi Arabia to watch soccer in a slave graveyard. Nobody should be giving anyone in the Middle East a single cent until their militant bigoted culture is overturned. >
  
  Funny how these threads look so different when it's an Israeli team/athlete being banned for their government's actions in Palestine. >
  
  This is how the terrorists win. >
  
  No, terrorists win when they get legitimacy by having teams tour them and also earning money through that tour