After imposing archaic laws on women in Afghanistan, the Taliban is now looking forward to banning cricket, as per the latest reports. 

In the world of cricket, Afghanistan has been one of the fastest-growing teams. In the T20 World Cup matches in June, the team made it to the semi-finals of an ICC event for the first time. The Afghan fans celebrated the win with fanfare on the streets of Kabul. The underdog story of Afghanistan-from being a crisis-hit country to winning matches against teams like Pakistan and Australia- has been a delightful journey to watch.

But if the latest reports are found to be true, this is bad news for all cricket fans around the world.

According to reports, the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan – Hibatullah Akhundzada has announced a gradual ban on cricket. However, there is no official confirmation regarding this it is well-known that the Taliban spearheads Afghanistan. 

The Taliban have already barred women from playing any sport in the country, it could be time for the male players to follow the same fate, bearing the brunt of the extremist regime.

Online sources on X claim that Akhunzada is not happy with the sport as he believes it has harmful effects, according to one X post by Visegrad 24. It is also being circulated on social media that playing cricket is against the Sharia Law, and there is a tussle between two factions in Afghanistan- one led by Akhunzada, and the other by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the brother of Anas Haqqani, who invested heavily in Afghanistan cricket.

Afghanistani cricketers are also famous among Indian cricket lovers, especially players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Naveen-ul-Haq. These players are not only playing well for the national team but also their franchise teams. 

The Afghanistan team is currently in Greater Noida, India, where they were supposed to play a first-ever Test match against New Zealand. However, on Friday, September 13. The match later got abandoned without a ball being bowled on any of the five days.

From sports to music, film and TV, the arts, and even hobbies, Afghanistan has been dragged back to something similar to the Stone Age. Cricket has been the one pursuit that has, so far, survived the regime. However, there is still a glimmer of hope for the moment that comes from the fact that none of the reports circulating online have been confirmed yet.

(With inputs from agencies)