7 incidents documented
Afghanistan U19 / ICC
January–February 2024
Afghanistan's Under-19 team's participation in the 2024 U19 World Cup in South Africa generated controversy given the Taliban government's domestic restrictions on youth sport — raising the same governance questions at youth level that the senior men's team's continued ICC participation had already raised.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan
23 October 2023
A controversial short run call during the 2023 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Pakistan led to Afghan fans accusing the umpires of costing their team the match.
Afghanistan / ICC
Ongoing 2021–2024
Afghanistan's Taliban government banned women from playing cricket — in direct violation of ICC membership requirements — yet Afghanistan's men's team continued playing in ICC tournaments, forcing cricket's governing body to confront its most challenging governance dilemma.
Australia vs Afghanistan
24 October 2023
Australia's captain Pat Cummins delivered one of the most memorable hat-tricks in World Cup history — cleaning up three Afghan batsmen in consecutive balls at Wankhede Stadium, including two with unplayable toe-crushing yorkers.
Afghanistan (women's cricket)
8 September 2021
After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, women were banned from playing cricket and all sports, raising questions about Afghanistan's ICC membership and the governing body's commitment to gender equality.
Afghanistan U19
20 January 2020
Afghanistan U19 players reported being approached by suspected fixers during the 2020 U19 World Cup in South Africa, highlighting the vulnerability of youth cricketers to corruption.
Ireland and Afghanistan
22 June 2017
The ICC granted Full Membership and Test status to Ireland and Afghanistan in 2017, but the lack of guaranteed fixtures and the challenges of sustaining Test cricket raised questions about whether the expansion was genuine or merely symbolic.