The International Cricket Council (ICC) board has set up a working group to review cricket in Afghanistan and, more specifically, the status of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

The new Taliban regime has decreed that women would not be allowed to play sport in public, a stance that has prompted Cricket Australia to postpone a Test match with Afghanistan.

The group, to be chaired by Imran Khwaja, also includes Ross McCollum, Lawson Naidoo and Ramiz Raja and will report back to the Board over the coming months.

“The ICC board is committed to continuing to support Afghanistan cricket to develop both men’s and women’s cricket moving forward,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay said in a media statement. “We believe the most effective way for this to happen will be to support our Member in its efforts to achieve this through its relationship with the new government.”

Ramiz, the chairman of the PCB, said on Wednesday that the ICC decision was partly a reaction to evidence of factionalism in the ACB. “There were two-three candidates (from Afghanistan) who turned up for the meeting (in Dubai on Tuesday) and they said they were going to participate,” Ramiz said at a news conference. “The ICC then decided they (Afghan representatives) can’t attend the meeting, but it won’t affect their funding and their cricket.”

Sourav role: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will replace Anil Kumble as chairman of the ICC men’s cricket committee.