The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, based on a law approved by the group’s leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has imposed a ban on cricket in Kandahar.
According to reports, cricket equipment was confiscated from young people in the Aino Mina area of Kandahar, and they have been prohibited from playing the sport.
Sources say that Mullah Hibatullah has not been fully informed in Kabul about the activities of the Cricket Board and the extent of the sport’s growth. According to information obtained by “Zawia News,” a number of young people from Logar province recently traveled to Kabul to request support for the development of cricket, but Taliban officials told them not to make further demands regarding the sport.
According to these sources, the officials told the youths: “The decree to abolish cricket is in the office of the Amir al-Mu’minin. Kabul is trying to remain silent on this matter, and Mullah Hibatullah has been told that cricket is a limited sport. If he becomes aware of the sport’s growing influence and expansion, he may decide to cancel it.”
So far, the Taliban have not made any official statement regarding the cancellation of cricket or a nationwide ban on the sport. However, recent actions by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue in Kandahar have raised concerns about the future of the sport.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
