Hobart Test match fears

PREMIER Peter Gutwein says he has “real concerns” about Hobart hosting the first Test match between Australia and Afghanistan after the recent takeover of the country by the Taliban.

The historic clash involving the two nations is scheduled to start on November 27 at Blundstone Arena and looms as a key Ashes tune-up for captain Tim Paine‘s side.

It’s also a significant fixture for Australia’s Tasmanian skipper who could captain his country at home for the first time.

It would be the first Test in the state since 2016. The Taliban, having completed a swift takeover of Afghanistan, has declared it wants the game to happen, and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Hamid Shinwari told Cricinfo the new government supported the sport.

A big crowd packed the Kabul International Stadium in the Afghan capital on the weekend for a T20 clash between two local teams, waving Afghan and Taliban flags as an indicator of the sport pushing on as normal.

But Mr Shinwari also said the fate of the women’s program could be “in peril”.

On Monday, Mr Gutwein said that was “particularly” concerning.

He said there would need to be community consultation to gauge whether the game went ahead as planned.

“I have very real concerns as to whether or not the state should hold that match without some very clear commitments being made around it in terms of the future of women’s sport,” Mr Gutwein told a State Budget estimates hearing.

“What I intend to do, in terms of that match going ahead, is reach out to the Hazara community later this week and have a chat with the local communities here to get a sense as to their view.

“We’ll be seeking to engage with the Australian cricket board (Cricket Australia) and I want to get the feedback from our local community as well.

“If our local community felt that it would be sensible and perhaps confidence building to allow that match to go ahead then obviously that’s a different matter. But I think we need to get some advice.”

The Hazaras, a religious minority, were targeted by the Taliban and violently persecuted when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Cricket Tasmania declined to comment.

Mr Shinwari told Cricinfo that talks with Cricket Australia “were in the pipeline” and the Afghanistan team would head to Australia after this year’s T20 World Cup.

“We have support for cricket from the management,’’ he said.

“After the T20 World Cup, we are going to Australia to play a one-off Test match. Talks with Cricket Australia are in the pipeline. After the World Cup, the team will be heading there.”

CA is planning for the Test to proceed, despite other concerns after the recent upheaval in Afghanistan.

But the domestic and international schedule for this summer remains affected by border closures, with six one-day games already postponed and the entire women’s series between Australia and India moved to Queensland.