Melbourne: A few miles from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia and England began the women’s Ashes Test, a group of Afghan refugee cricketers played their first match as a team since fleeing Taliban rule.
The Afghanistan Women’s XI, composed of players who left Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, participated in an exhibition match at the Junction Oval on Thursday. The match, arranged by Cricket Without Borders, a non-profit supporting women’s cricket, was facilitated by Cricket Australia but carried no official status.
Struggles for Recognition
- In 2020, 25 Afghan women were contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), but most have since resettled in Australia with humanitarian visas.
- Unlike Afghanistan’s fully funded men’s team, the women’s team receives no support from the International Cricket Council (ICC) or ACB.
- The team has requested recognition as a refugee team by the ICC, but no formal response has been received.
Hope for Afghan Women
Captain Nahida Sapan expressed hope that the match would inspire women in Afghanistan, where girls are banned from secondary education and sports are disbanded.
“It means a lot for Afghan women, because with this, they can hope, we can hope. Actually, we have big hope from this match because this match can open doors for Afghan women for education, sport, and the future.”
The team wore blue shirts featuring a cricket ball and a tulip, Afghanistan’s national flower, but the uniforms did not include the national flag or colors, highlighting their lack of formal representation.
Cricket and Human Rights
- Despite not meeting the ICC’s requirement to develop women’s cricket, Afghanistan retains full ICC membership.
- Countries like Australia refuse to play Afghanistan’s men’s team in bilateral series due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights.
- The ICC has stated it is committed to working with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to ensure opportunities for both men and women.
Future Aspirations
- The Afghan women cricketers hope to play more exhibition matches and eventually receive official recognition.
- Meanwhile, the Afghanistan men’s team will participate in the Champions Trophy 2025 next month in Pakistan and the UAE.
Former Afghan women’s cricket administrator Tuba Sangar remains optimistic:
“It’s good to see us still being represented. We hope this will create more opportunities and just be the beginning.”
While the Afghanistan Women’s XI returns to playing for local clubs in Australia, the match serves as a symbol of resilience and a plea for inclusion in international cricket.