India, Aug. 5 -- The first ODI between Ireland and Afghanistan gets underway in Bready on Wednesday, August 5, but the contest has already become one of the most talked-about series of the summer for reasons extending well beyond cricket. According to The Guardian, Cricket Ireland's decision to host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series has reportedly frustrated the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which refuses to play bilateral cricket against Afghanistan because of the Taliban regime's restrictions on women's rights. The development has placed Ireland at the centre of a wider debate over whether international cricket should separate sporting commitments from political and human rights concerns.

Ireland Strengthens Cricketing T...