PAINE SUPPORTS CUP BOYCOTT

TEST captain Tim Paine believes teams could refuse to play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup if the International Cricket Council doesn’t stop them from playing in the tournament next month.

Paine said the Australian players were “fully supportive” of Cricket Australia’s stand against Afghanistan that is set to cost Tasmania a historic match.

On Thursday, CA said it would have “no alternative” but to cancel the one-off Test in Hobart in November because of the Taliban’s hard-line stance against women playing not just cricket but any sport. To be a full member of the ICC, nations must have an active women’s team. The Taliban has declared it will ban all women’s sport.

The ICC has resolved to discuss the issue at its next board meeting, which is during the World Cup in October.

But pressure is building on it to make a call on Afghanistan’s status before the tournament and Paine said if it was allowed to compete, teams could boycott playing the country.

“I think so,’’ Paine said on Friday. “I think it will be something discussed team by team. It will literally be something teams will discuss on the eve of that World Cup.”

Afghanistan cricket has more issues, too, after captain Rashid Khan stood down after not being included in the World Cup squad selection process.

But Paine said the ICC needed to make a call on Afghanistan playing in the tournament before it started.

“It will be interesting to see what happens in that space, does a team just get kicked out of the World Cup?” he said on SEN.

“If teams are pulling out of playing against them and governments are not letting them travel to our shores, how a team like that can be allowed to play in an ICC-sanctioned event is going to be very hard.”

Paine conceded the Test in his home town of Hobart was doomed but said he and the players were right behind CA.

“Cricket Australia, the ACA (Australian Cricketers Association) and all players in Australia are hugely supportive of female cricket and trying to grow the game,” he said.

“And, secondly around the world, making sure all people, male or female, have the chance to chase their dreams whether that’s in sport or whatever. We stand with Cricket Australia and the ACA on their strong stance.

“With what’s going on with the Taliban, they are banning women from playing any sport, that has implications at an ICC level and then, secondly, from a female’s point of view, from a human rights point of view, to exclude half your population from being able to do something is not on.

“I don’t think we want to be associated with countries that are taking opportunities off literally half their population.’’