Cricket Scotland has ruled out scheduling bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan men outside International Cricket Council (ICC) events, in a new policy announced on Monday 9 November 2026.

The board said it will not proactively schedule bilateral series or take part in tri-series involving Afghanistan men, and will not host the Afghanistan team for warm-up matches, practice games or pre-tour training camps. The policy takes immediate effect.

Scotland will still face Afghanistan when required to do so under ICC competition rules, including warm-up matches at ICC tournaments. Cricket Scotland said that taking part in those fixtures should not be read as an endorsement of the current Afghan regime or its policies.

Why Cricket Scotland changed its position

The decision follows a review of Cricket Scotland's engagement with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), launched after the ACB approached the organisation about using Scottish training facilities during the summer of 2026.

The review was also prompted by an approach from the ACB about the availability of Scottish players for the proposed Afghanistan Premier League T20. George Munsey was the only Scotland contracted player to have been signed for the league.

Cricket Scotland said it would only issue Munsey a no-objection certificate once the league has been granted ICC sanction. Scotland's contracted men's and women's players were told of the new position on the same day it was confirmed.

Policy stays unless circumstances change

Under the new policy, no bilateral series will be scheduled unless there is a material change in the circumstances surrounding Afghanistan women's cricket and wider human rights considerations. The policy will be kept under annual review.

Women and girls are banned from playing sport under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and the country has no recognised women's national team. Cricket Scotland's stance echoes positions already taken by England and Australia. The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed in May 2026 that it would not approve bilateral matches against Afghanistan outside ICC events, citing concerns about women's rights under Taliban rule.

Scotland have not played Afghanistan in a full international match since the 2021 T20 World Cup, although the sides have met in warm-up matches ahead of the 2024 and 2026 editions of the tournament.

The Afghanistan women's team has been in exile since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with most of its players now living in Australia. The ICC put a roadmap in place earlier in 2026 for an Afghanistan Refugee Women's XI, with that side potentially able to compete in ICC events by 2030.