Afghan Women Cricketers Seek ICC Help to Form Refugee Team in Australia

A group of seventeen female cricketers from Afghanistan, who were contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in 2020 before the Taliban took control, have reached out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for assistance. They want to establish a refugee cricket team in Australia, separate from the ACB and not under the Afghan national team banner.

In a letter sent to ICC Chair Greg Barclay on Saturday, the players asked for “support and guidance” to formalize their team. They acknowledged that due to Afghanistan’s current government policies, the ACB and ICC cannot recognize them as a national team. Instead, they proposed being managed by the East Asian Cricket office at Cricket Australia, allowing them to represent Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but cannot do so in Afghanistan.

This request comes at a time when the Afghan men’s cricket team has gained global attention by reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. The women cricketers expressed their happiness for the men’s achievements but also shared their sadness over their own situation.

“We, the former players of the Afghanistan Women’s team, are proud of the men’s team’s success at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and congratulate Rashid Khan and his team for reaching the semi-finals,” the letter stated. “However, it deeply saddens us that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.”

In November 2020, the ACB had organized a women’s cricket trial in Kabul and contracted 25 female players, planning to gradually develop fixtures. A tour to Oman was considered as their first assignment, but it never happened. Nine months later, the Taliban’s takeover led to women and girls being banned from most public activities, including sports.

Many female athletes sought refuge abroad, with a significant number of Afghanistan’s female footballers and cricketers now residing in Australia, and some in the UK and Canada. While they continue to play cricket at local clubs and have received support from various organizations, they have not been able to form an official team. They chose this moment, with Afghan cricket in the spotlight, to remind the world of their existence and propose a solution to their exclusion.

“We want to recruit and train girls and women who love cricket to show the world the talent of Afghan women and the great victories they can achieve with the ICC’s leadership and financial support,” the letter stated.

Currently, the ICC cannot grant them official status because it relies on individual boards to recognize teams. The ACB, due to the Taliban’s stance on women, cannot recognize a women’s team. There are concerns that pushing for a women’s team could endanger lives under the Taliban regime.

The exiled players understand these sensitivities and have asked for recognition as a refugee team. Their communication suggests that only Afghan refugee cricketers will be included in their proposed team.

“Our goals in having a refugee team are to develop and showcase our talent, give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan, and draw attention to the challenges Afghan women face,” the letter said. “Like the Afghan men’s team, we aim to compete at the highest levels. We want to recruit and train girls and women who love cricket to show the world the talent of Afghan women and the great victories they can achieve with the ICC’s leadership and financial support.”