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CaptSzat t1_j42anh1 wrote

Reply to comment by Thunderboltscoot in Cricket Australia pull out of Afghanistan ODI series over Taliban restrictions on Women's freedoms. by LexiFloof

I mean even North Korea has sports teams that go abroad so I don’t think it’s really shocking. Like what difference is 40 people leaving your country to go play a sport? Maybe a couple don’t come back (doubtful) but I’m pretty sure most of the team play in other leagues regardless outside of Afghanistan.

It’s basically free propaganda if they do well and if they don’t do well, you either act like they never played or that they played valiantly.

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Ferris_Wheel_Skippy t1_j42st4g wrote

I mean considering the Taliban banned kite-flying for five years, it's hardly a surprise for people to assume they would have banned the cricket team

i guess these aren't your granddad's Taliban

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Chuckdatass t1_j42d86l wrote

Well also the athletes generally have people they care about back home that wouldn’t have a happy life if they defect. So that’s good motivation to force the athletes to come home

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OldGodsAndNew t1_j43z5ee wrote

Happens all the time with certain other countries - Eritrea is probably the most notable, like half their squad disappears every time they play an away international (including the junior & women's teams)

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thorpie88 t1_j44xksq wrote

A lot of the Afghan players play in the Indian premier league. Those guys probably don't even live in Afghanistan to begin with so no need to disappear

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