Afghanistan board CEO pleads after Cricket Australia warning: Keep the door open for us

Afghanistan's cricket authorities on Friday pleaded with other national teams not to shun it over the country's new Taliban rulers' suggestion that they might ban women from the sport.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Hamid Shinwari has made a plea in a long, official statement, urging Cricket Australia and all other national boards to 'keep their doors open to them. Cricket Australia (CA) said it would scrap a Test match against the Afghanistan men's team, scheduled in Hobart in November if the Taliban did not allow women to play the sport.