'We've drawn a line': CA defends stance on Afghanistan after 'hypocrisy' accusation

Melbourne, Dec 5 (IANS) Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird has defended the decision to avoid bilateral matches with Afghanistan, responding to accusations of hypocrisy made by outgoing ICC chair Greg Barclay.

Barclay, whose term ended on December 1 with Jay Shah succeeding him, criticised cricket boards for refusing to play against Afghanistan outside of global tournaments during an extensive interview with the UK's Daily Telegraph.

"If you really want to make a political statement, don't play them in a World Cup," Barclay said. "Sure, it might cost you a semi-final place, but principles are principles. It's not about having half a principle."

In response to Barclay's remarks, Baird backed CA's stance of not playing bilateral cricket with Afghanistan over the Taliban's ban on women participating in sports. He highlighted their continued support for refugee female players now residing in Australia, including plans for an Afghanistan Women's XI to face a Cricket Without Borders XI on January 30 at Junction Oval, ahead of the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG.

"I saw those comments this morning, and I hadn't heard those views before in kind of any forum. So obviously he's entitled to his view. He's going on to new things, and we wish him well on that, but we're very proud of the position we've taken. We're supporting the Afghan women's cricket team and those members that are still here, and we'll be doing that at the end of the summer," Baird said.

"People have different views, of course, but we're very comfortable with the position we've taken. There's all types of lines you can draw. We've drawn a line, we've taken a position and we're proudly standing up where we think we should. I think that event that's going to come at the end of January is a celebration of women and what we're seeing in the women's game in this country. We remain proud of it," he added.

Baird adopted a diplomatic stance regarding India's request to halt public training sessions during their tour, following an incident where over 5,000 fans attended a practice session at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Plans for open training sessions in Brisbane and Sydney have since been cancelled. However, fans will still be able to watch training at the MCG, as the nets are visible from public areas.

Baird also confirmed that Cricket Australia would continue to hold some Australian training sessions open to the public, emphasising their importance in fostering a closer connection between fans and the team.

"It's obviously a difficult time when you're going into a competitive Test series, and different teams will take different approaches," he said. "We totally understand that. There's huge pressure that comes, all types of things that can distract.

"From our point of view, we love the fact that our players are open and available and they enjoy it as well. We want our fans to be connected to these players. It's a once in a generation team with once in a generation players. That sort of experience, that's how the game is going to grow. India's taken a position and we totally respect [that]. We're going to continue. We've done it for a long time."