The new Taliban government in Afghanistan will ban women from playing sport, a spokesman confirmed yesterday, because they might expose their faces and bodies. That will likely see the late-November Test match between Australia and Afghanistan cancelled as Federal Sport Minister Richard Colbeck withdrew his support. Last night he said that Afghan athletes would “remain welcome in Australia, but not under the flag of the Taliban”. He’s also called on the International Cricket Council to take a stand against the Taliban, given their position on women’s participation. “Excluding women from sport at any level is unacceptable,” he said. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, reports overnight say small groups of female demonstrators have protested against the formation of an all-male interim government – some were beaten by Taliban militants before being dispersed.