Marnus Labuschagne has expressed his readiness to play against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, scheduled for Friday night (AEDT), despite Cricket Australia’s ongoing stance against bilateral series with the nation. Since the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021 and their ban on women participating in sports, Australia has refrained from hosting Afghanistan for bilateral matches.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) mandates that all teams must compete in their scheduled matches during its tournaments like the Champions Trophy, with the risk of sanctions for non-compliance. Labuschagne stated, “It’s an ICC tournament, and as the schedule stands, we are playing Afghanistan. Personally, I have no issues about playing.”
He acknowledged Cricket Australia’s past decisions regarding their position on Afghanistan, but emphasised the focus on the imminent match. While the ICC has faced pressure to enforce regulations regarding women’s programs, Australian government representatives, including Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts, have called for the ICC to uphold its own standards or risk normalising the current situation in Afghanistan.
Watts praised Cricket Australia for being a pioneer in refusing to play bilateral matches against Afghanistan, highlighting the need for ICC to enforce rules supportive of women in cricket. He reiterated the commitment of the Australian government to oppose the oppression of women in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, some British politicians have called for England to boycott their game against Afghanistan, which took place before Australia’s match. England ended their campaign after a narrow loss to Afghanistan.
As Australia prepares for their game in Lahore, they face potential rain interruptions, having already lost one match to weather conditions against South Africa. Labuschagne pointed out that a washed-out match could still see Australia advance to the semi-finals, but the team aims for a decisive victory to secure their spot.
Reflecting on past encounters, Labuschagne noted Australia’s mixed results against Afghanistan, including a remarkable double century from Glenn Maxwell that salvaged a victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Afghanistan, fresh from defeating England, could eliminate Australia with another upset.
Labuschagne concluded, “As players, you always want to play. We would love to win the game tomorrow and finish top of the pool. Our focus is on preparing for whatever comes our way, including a shortened match.” The game is set to commence at 8pm (AEDT).