Afghanistan cricket chief executive Hamid Shinwari fired
- Published
Scenes like this one at a school in Herat in 2013 may not be allowed under Taliban rule in Afghanistan
Hamid Shinwari has been fired as chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
The Taliban-controlled board have appointed Naseeb Khan in his place.
Earlier this month Shinwari urged cricket-playing nations not to abandon Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country in August.
Cricket Australia has said it will cancel the men's Test with Afghanistan in November if women are banned from playing.
Cricket was banned for most of the Taliban's previous rule, from 1996 to 2001, while women were unable to work or leave the house without being accompanied by a male relative.
The men's team has already received support from the Taliban, but Shinwari told the BBC's Sports Desk podcast last month he expected the authorities to block plans to create a national women's team.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) requires its 12 full members, including Afghanistan, to have a national women's team, which led to 25 female cricketers being awarded contracts in November 2020.
BBC Sport reported earlier this month that many members of the Afghanistan women's cricket team are now in hiding from the Taliban.
Only full ICC members are able to play Test matches.
Australia are scheduled to host their first ever Test against Afghanistan from 26 November before the Ashes series with England, which begins on 8 December.
The ICC are yet to make a statement about Afghanistan cricket's future, while the Taliban are yet to pass any firm law about sport and women.
Khan was introduced as the new chief executive by ACB chairman Azizullah Fazli, who returned to the role following the Taliban takeover.
Afghanistan are set to play in next month's men's T20 World Cup in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan stepped down as T20 captain minutes after the World Cup squad was announced, claiming he was not consulted on the selection, with Mohammad Nabi taking over.
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