CRICKET DIGEST

AFGHAN women will be banned from playing cricket or any other sport under the Taliban regime — threatening the Test status of the men’s team. Afghanistan’s Cricket Board awarded contracts to 25 female cricketers last year with the view to launching a national women’s side, which is a condition to being a full member of the International Cricket Council. However, the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, said yesterday that women should not play sport. Wasiq said: ‘I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women play cricket.’

CRICKET AUSTRALIA are hopeful England players’ families will be allowed to travel to the Ashes this winter, and are planning for the series to be in front of full crowds. ‘The Ashes is so big. We are very hopeful and optimistic that we will have crowds,’ said chief executive Nick Hockley.

ENGLAND will face world champions New Zealand in a three-Test series at Lord’s, Trent Bridge and Headingley in June next year, before three Tests against South Africa at Lord’s, Edgbaston and the Oval. As revealed by Sportsmail, T20 finals day has been moved to July 16 at Edgbaston — its earliest date.

YORKSHIRE have come under Government pressure to publish a report into allegations of racism at the club made by their former player Azeem Rafiq. It is now three weeks since Yorkshire received the results of the probe. In an open letter to Yorkshire chief Mark Arthur, Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, wrote: ‘It is crucial that the process, the report and its full findings are made public and open to scrutiny. (Rafiq) deserves no less.’