Taliban authorities have prohibited radio stations in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province from broadcasting cricket-related content, including match commentary, news and results, according to local broadcasters and a provincial official.
The directive was communicated to radio stations on Saturday by the provincial Information and Culture Department, two broadcasters and a departmental source told AFP on Sunday.
A source within the department, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to address the media, confirmed that the restrictions covered all forms of cricket reporting.
“Cricket coverage is banned,” the official said, adding that the prohibition extended to live commentary, news reports and even announcements of match victories.
The official did not provide an explanation for the decision.
The head of a local radio station told AFP that he had received a telephone call from the Information and Culture Department instructing the station to stop broadcasting cricket-related material.
“We received a call from Information and Culture, and we were told that we can’t cover cricket on the radio anymore,” he said.
The manager of another Kandahar radio station independently confirmed receiving similar instructions, saying authorities had informed him that all cricket-related broadcasts were prohibited for the time being.
Both broadcasters requested anonymity because of security concerns.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the restrictions.
The decision is particularly notable because cricket has become one of Afghanistan’s most popular sports and has previously received support from the Taliban administration.
Authorities have organised cricket matches during celebrations marking the anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Although the Taliban have imposed restrictions on certain sports, including a ban on mixed martial arts, men and boys have generally been permitted to continue playing cricket.
Women and girls, however, remain barred from participating in sports and attending gyms under broader restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities.
The new broadcasting restrictions come as Afghanistan’s men’s national cricket team is playing its second Test match against Zimbabwe in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Kandahar holds particular significance as the home of the Taliban’s supreme leader and an important centre of the movement’s leadership.
Authorities have not clarified whether the ban will remain limited to Kandahar or could be extended to other provinces.
The duration of the restrictions also remains uncertain, with broadcasters indicating that they were told cricket coverage was prohibited until further notice.