White Ferns wicketkeeper Katey Martin says it is important that Afghanistan women can continue to play cricket.
The women's game is under threat under the new Taliban regime and Cricket Australia has said that it would scrap November's first-ever Test against the Afghan men's side if women in the country are unable to play.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand Cricket is taking advice from the ICC.
Speaking after this morning's game against England in Taunton, Martin says the game in general needs to be supported in Afghanistan.
"It's been brilliant to have Afghanistan women's and men's teams as part of the ICC competitions as it adds to the game.
"We have a lot of pride playing against Afghanistan and seeing the girls come through and they've really improved."
We just hope that things get worked out and that the Afghanistan women's team can get to the (World Cup) qualifier and potentially come to New Zealand next year.
"Fingers crossed the Afghanistan women's team is supported, just like every other nation is, by the ICC and their boards."
Australian broadcaster SBS has quoted a Taliban representative as saying he did not think women would be allowed to play cricket because it was "not necessary" and it would be against Islam if women players faced a situation where their face and body might be "uncovered".
A statement from Australia Cricket on Thursday said "our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level...if recent media reports...are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed test match due to be played in Hobart."
New Zealand Cricket says it will await advice from the sport's international governing body the ICC on whether the Black Caps should play Afghanistan at the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE.
NZ Cricket is awaiting guidance from the ICC overr whether they will play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup in November. Photo: Photosport
The Black Caps have five pool games at the world cup in UAE with their match against Afghanistan scheduled to be played on November 7th.
New Zealand Cricket spokesperson Richard Boock says New Zealand Cricket doesn't have a position on Afghanistan and hasn't sought advice from the Government but rather will await guidance from the ICC.
The Bangladesh women's team is scheduled to play in the ICC World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe at the end of November.
Three teams from the tournament will qualify for the World Cup in New Zealand next March.
Afghanistan is the only Full Member to have received that status without having an operational women's team in place. Last year the Afghanistan Cricket Board had announced their first contracts for women as they looked to build a team.
-Reuters/RNZ
