Afghanistan and Gujarat Titans all-rounder Rashid Khan is contemplating his participation in the 2025 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL). This decision follows Cricket Australia‘s (CA) indefinite postponement of their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, originally slated for August at a neutral venue. CA clarified that they made the decision after consultations with the Australian government due to “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls” in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Speaking out about CA’s stance, Rashid expressed feeling “really hurt” by the board’s withdrawal from the T20Is.

“It does hurt you. You do want to play against the best teams and that’s where your cricket is going to improve more and more. You only get the opportunity playing against them [Australia] in the World Cups, but not in bilateral series,” Rashid was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Rashid believed that the series could have served as a significant learning opportunity for Afghanistan. Playing against top-ranked teams is crucial for the country’s cricketing development, and Rashid saw it as a pivotal step towards fostering the sport’s growth within Afghanistan.

“Recently, we played three T20s against India, and it helped us a lot. We nearly chased 200 [212] against India. Imagine if you wouldn’t have played that, where would the confidence come from? Playing against big teams is huge for us,” he added.

“You don’t want to play with my colleagues and you want to play with me. So what’s the difference? It means I’m putting my colleagues down as well. My country down as well.”

For those unaware, this marked the third occasion where Cricket Australia opted against fulfilling a bilateral commitment with Afghanistan. In 2021, the anticipated first Test match between Australia and Afghanistan was postponed. Similarly, last year, an ODI series was canceled.