Controversy erupts after cricket team named 'Taliban' participates in a local tournament in Rajasthan

A local tournament in Rajasthan got into a controversy after a team named ‘Taliban’ participated in the tournament. For the unversed, Taliban is a militant organisation that has swept to power in Afghanistan. The organisers have issued an apology and said the team was included by mistake. Not only ‘Taliban’ was removed from the tournament, but a complete ban was also imposed on the team.

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As per media reports, the tournament in question is Aladdin Khan Smriti Cricket Trophy, which is being played in the Bhaniyana village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer. One of the tournament organisers said the team was mistakenly added due to online scoring. He said the organisers will ensure that such things don’t happen in future.

Meanwhile, Taliban’s rise to the helm in Afghanistan has put the fate of country’s national team in jeopardy. However, the new rulers have promised to support cricket in the country. Anan Haqqani, a member of Taliban's political office met Afghanistan cricket captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, former ACB selection committee chairman Asadullah and cricketer Noor Ali Zadran, and assured that cricket activities in the country will not be hampered by the political turnaround. Earlier, few members of Taliban also met Asghar Stanikzai and former captain Naworoz Mangal in Kabul.

Despite all the promises, the Pakistan-Afghanistan series had to be postponed due to the same. With all international flights suspended from Kabul airport, the ACB and PCB decided to postpone the series due to logistical issues. The fate of Afghanistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup is also uncertain despite the assurance of their media manager.