FINCH: AFGHANI BOYCOTT ISN’T MY CALL

AUSTRALIA would only meet Afghanistan in a final at the T20 World Cup and boycotting any match against it would be a matter for the International Cricket Council, says captain Aaron Finch.

The prospect of teams boycotting games against Afghanistan at the tournament was raised after the Taliban assumed control of the country and promptly banned women’s sport. To be a full ICC member, countries have to have an active men’s and women’s cricket program.

Cricket Australia cancelled a one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled for Hobart in November, in response to the ban on women playing.

But the ICC will table the matter of Afghanistan’s playing status at a board meeting before the World Cup begins in late October. The Afghanistan team, including superstar Rashid Khan, who was named the ICC T20 player of the decade last year, is preparing for the tournament amid full expectation it will take part.

Finch said he and his team were “fully supportive” of CA’s stance in abandoning the Test.

But he said any decision on boycotting a game against Afghanistan at the World Cup wasn’t one he would make.

“That’s an ICC decision, and like I said, we’re fully supportive of the decision that Cricket Australia made,” Finch said on Wednesday.