Cricket Scotland rules out out bilateral fixtures with Afghanistan

Cricket Scotland announced on November 9, 2026 that it will not proactively schedule bilateral series or standalone fixtures against Afghanistan men outside ICC events. The board also confirmed it will not host Afghanistan men for warm-up matches, practice games or pre-tour training camps. The policy takes immediate effect and applies unless there is a material change in the circumstances surrounding Afghanistan women's cricket and wider human rights considerations.

Scotland's contracted men's and women's players were informed of the new position by the board on the same day the policy was confirmed. The decision follows a review that Cricket Scotland's board launched after Afghanistan Cricket Board approached the organisation over the use of Scottish training facilities during the summer of 2026. That review was also prompted by questions over the potential availability of Scottish players for the Afghanistan Premier League T20 draft.

"Cricket Scotland will comply with its obligations as set out in its contracts with its players," the national cricketing body said in a statement.

"If an NOC is issued, participation by the player/s must not be interpreted as an endorsement by Cricket Scotland of the current Afghan regime or its policies." Scotland added.

George Munsey was the only Scotland contracted player to have been signed for the Afghanistan Premier League T20. Cricket Scotland stated that it will comply with its obligations as set out in its contracts with its players, according to an ICC-sourced statement, and added that if a No-Objection Certificate is issued, participation by the player or players must not be interpreted as an endorsement by Cricket Scotland of the current Afghan regime or its policies.

The stance adopted by Cricket Scotland echoes positions already taken by England and Australia. The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed in May 2026 that it would not approve bilateral matches against Afghanistan outside ICC events, citing concerns about women's rights under Taliban rule. Cricket Australia had applied a comparable position before that.

What is the background to Cricket Scotland's decision?

Afghanistan was granted Full Member status by the ICC in 2017, but the national board has since failed to meet the ICC requirement to fund and develop a women's national team and development structures. Experts have described the situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan as gender apartheid under Taliban governance.

The ICC put a roadmap in place earlier in 2026 for an Afghanistan Refugee Women's XI, with that side potentially able to compete in ICC events by 2030. The Refugee Women's XI, primarily based in Australia, toured England during the summer of 2026, coinciding with the T20 World Cup period. These developments formed part of the broader context that informed Cricket Scotland's policy review.

Scotland and Afghanistan last met in a full international at the T20 World Cup in 2021. The two sides also faced each other in a warm-up match at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Most recently, Afghanistan defeated Scotland by 61 runs in a warm-up match on February 2, ahead of the T20 World Cup this year.

How will Cricket Scotland's policy be reviewed going forward?

Cricket Scotland confirmed that the policy will be kept under annual review. Any material change in circumstances surrounding Afghanistan women's cricket, any shift in wider human rights conditions, or a relevant ICC decision could prompt a reassessment of the board's position.

The board did not set a fixed timeline for when such a change might occur, nor did it specify what threshold of progress on women's cricket would be required. The policy as stated does not prevent Scotland from facing Afghanistan within ICC-sanctioned tournaments, meaning encounters at future T20 World Cups or other ICC events remain possible under the current framework.