Cricket Australia chair defends stance on matches against Afghanistan
What's the story
Cricket Australia's chair, Mike Baird, has come out in defense of the board's decision to not play bilateral matches against Afghanistan.
This comes after Greg Barclay, the outgoing ICC chief, accused the board of hypocrisy.
Speaking to UK's Daily Telegraph, Barclay slammed boards that have refrained from facing Afghanistan outside of global tournaments.
He added if CA really wanted to make it political, they should also refuse to play them in World Cups.
Response
Baird responds to Barclay's criticism
In response to Barclay's criticism, Baird said Cricket Australia is comfortable with its stance on bilateral cricket.
He emphasized their continued support for refugee female players now living in Australia.
This support will also be seen in an Afghanistan Women's XI playing a Cricket Without Border's XI on January 30 at Junction Oval, ahead of the Day/Night Ashes Test at the MCG.
Stance
Baird stands by CA's position on Afghanistan matches
Baird was surprised at Barclay's comments, saying he hadn't heard such views before.
Nonetheless, he reiterated Cricket Australia's commitment to their position. "We're very proud of the position we've taken," Baird said.
He stressed that different people have different views, but they are comfortable with the stance they have taken and will continue to support Afghan women cricketers who are still in Australia.
Training
Baird respects India's decision to stop open training sessions
Baird also spoke about India's decision to hold training sessions behind closed doors for the rest of their Australia tour.
He said they understood and respected the move, adding that different teams have different approaches.
However, he confirmed that some Australian training sessions will still be open to the public as they believe it is an important way to bring fans closer to the team.