Cricket or no cricket? What’s easier? What’s your choice? And what would you pick. Ask this to any fan of the T20 format of the game and perhaps eight in ten would say, the IPL as their answer. The Indian Premier League. But try asking that to Taliban and perhaps the reply won’t be the most thoughtful or friendly one.
Why’s that? What has the IPL got to do with Taliban? In fact, could there be anything more stupid or gross than linking two absolutely different terms in one sentence?
Chances are, if you are a cricket fan in Afghanistan, then the above may not sound too surprising or sudden to be honest.
Here’s why.
Now, all of a sudden, the Afghanistan-ruling Taliban have decided to ban the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, aka the IPL. Yes, the very T20 league-based competition that’s given some of Afghanistan’s players worldwide recognition, made their homes, solidified their careers and above anything else, resuscitated cricket in lives that would’ve seemed poorer in its absence.
But then since when has the Taliban been thoughtful or kind or gracious or polite. These are merely existing dead bodies that are being kept alive out of the inborn desire for anger, hatred and blasphemy.
Also Read: What Does Shahid Afridi Wish To Prove By Appreciating Taliban?
In a piece of news that’s abrupt and abhorrent in equal measure, the Taliban, feeling that the IPL, of all things, is ‘anti-Islamic,’ have decided against the telecast of the world-famous cricket league in their country, which well, isn’t ‘their’ country.
Some might just refrain to believe this piece of news while the others may think of it as being stupid and just plain dumb. But truth certainly is that while a Rashid Khan and Mujeeb or Nabi will be representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, Taliban, who are ever representing hatred and violence, will ban the screening of the IPL everywhere in the wartorn and bloodied country.
A country where countless innocent lives are living under a reign of tyranny, perhaps aware that the world has turned its back on them.
Here’s what Zee news had to report on the incident, that’s now trending everywhere in cricketing and wider circles:
The UAE leg of the IPL 2021 will not be telecast in Afghanistan due to possible ‘anti-Islam contents’ that could be aired during the programming. Afghanistan are now under the control of the Taliban regime.
The Taliban have banned most forms of entertainment — including many sports – and women have been completely banned from playing sport. Former Afghanistan Cricket Board media manager and journalist, M Ibrahim Momand, sent out a tweet stating that due to possible anti-Islam content, girls dancing and the attendance of barred hair women in the Islamic Emirates of the Taliban, IPL broadcast is banned in the country.