The hardline Islamist group returned to power in Afghanistan last year, and women face requirements to cover their faces in public and travel with men as well as exclusion from secondary education and sports under its interpretation of Sharia law.

More than one million people are reported to have fled the country since the Taliban's resurgence, and the Afghan International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Samira Asghari has described it as "like a prison" for women and girls.

Cricket Australia said it had consulted with the Australian Government, and deemed it could not play Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates in a scheduled International Cricket Council (ICC) Super League three-match ODI series in March.

"This decision follows the recent announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms," the governing body said.

"CA [Cricket Australia] is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country.

"We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter."

Australia previously postponed a test match against Afghanistan in November 2021 after the Taliban seized power, but the two countries met at last year's Men's T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan are the only ICC full member without a women's team.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has criticised what it described as a "pathetic statement" by Cricket Australia, and said it is "extremely disappointed and saddened" by the decision.

"Cricket Australia's decision to withdraw from upcoming matches against Afghanistan is coming after consultation and potential enforcement from the Australian Government which is an unfortunate attempt to enter the realm of politics and politicise the sport," the ACB claimed.

"By prioritising political interests over the principles of fair play and sportsmanship, Cricket Australia is undermining the integrity of the game and damaging the relationship between the two nations.

"The decision to withdraw from playing the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan is unfair and unexpected and will have a negative impact on the development and growth of cricket in Afghanistan as well as will affect the love and passion of the Afghan nation for the game."

It plans to write to the ICC, and suggested it could re-evaluate "the participation of Afghan players in the Big Bash League (BBL)" in Australia.

Spinner Rashid Khan, Afghanistan's T20 captain, has already said he is "strongly considering" his future in the BBL with the Adelaide Strikers.

He has previously criticised a ban on secondary education for girls in Afghanistan.

In November last year, the ACB signed a five-year deal with the Emirates Cricket Board to stage its matches in the United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan and Australia have already qualified for the Cricket World Cup in India later this year.

insidethegames has asked the ICC for a comment on Australia's withdrawal from the series against Afghanistan.

ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice has admitted that "it is a concern that progress is not being made in Afghanistan and it’s something our Board will consider at its next meeting in March".

The IOC last month "expressed its serious concern" at the situation in Afghanistan, but stopped short of suspending its National Olympic Committee (NOC) as pressure group Human Rights Watch had called for.

Afghanistan's NOC has previously been suspended from 1999 to 2003 after the Taliban barred women from sport during its first Governmental rule.