Re: Random Cricket Thread (International Cricket)
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2023 11:29 am
yuppie wrote:Australia cancels the ODI series it has against Afghanistan due to Afghanistan showing no sign of implementing woman's cricket. This is a must for all full member countries. Obviously the ACB and many of its players are complaining about this and calling it political. I for one am glad though that CA have done this and hope other countries follow suit. To be a full member then you must have womans cricket. Simple really
I think its easy in a first world country to ask why women's cricket is not being funded, but the reality is even with the most successful examples of female sporting sides in the world atm, how many of those rely heavily on the facilities and structures of the male game? Take Lyon, who dominate women's football at a European level..... they generate hardly any revenue at all. Their playing budget is mostly a complete write off, and thats without the fact most of their facilities aren't included in the costs.
How exactly do you expect Afghanistan, a war torn country with collapsed infrastructure and no history of cricketing structure, to be able to withstand a loss making venture like woman's sport? Worth noting too, the ICC havent paid them any funding since 2021, so even if they waned to, they have no money to invest.
Back in the day, England's ladies were all part-time workers or students, had to rely on the support of those around them or jobs. I wonder how many people in a third world country could sustain that (pretty much no one). I believe the vast majority of the men (if not all) have links to Pakistan refugee camps, and were all brought up in the Pakistan system, so Afghanistan really hasnt ever proved it even has the capacity to sustain male FC.
Id say this is just a cynical cancellation to avoid having to play a series that makes no money.