KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have sacked the executive director of Afghanistan’s cricket board. The Australian Cricket Board last week canceled a match with Afghanistan’s cricket team to protest the banning of women from sports in Afghanistan. The official Facebook page of the Afghanistan Cricket Board also announced Naseebullah Haqqani as the new executive director. The Pakistani Taliban, who are a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban, have for years waged war against the government in Islamabad. There are concerns that the Pakistani Taliban are becoming emboldened after the Afghan Taliban last month took power in Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final stages of their pullout from the country.

Source: ABC News September 20, 2021 06:53 UTC