New Delhi: A total of 17 members of the former Afghanistan women’s cricket team have written to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket, to help them set up a refugee team in Australia. The players, who are no longer able to represent their nation due to the ban on women’s cricket by the Taliban government in the country, want ICC to help them realise their dream of playing cricket together.
The Afghanistan women’s cricket team was formed in 2010 by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). However, the team was disbanded in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power in the country. Several Afghanistan women’s cricketers had fled to Australia, seeking exile in the country after the Taliban’s return.
On returning to power, the Taliban not only banned women from playing cricket in the country but also banned them from engaging in any sporting activities. The Taliban regime had also stopped girls from going to school and colleges at the time, inviting intense criticism from all corners. Disbanded in 2021, the Afghanistan women’s cricket team has disintegrated ever since.
However, the players have not given up and still hope to play cricket together as a team one day. Thus at least 17 members of the former Afghanistan women’s team wrote a letter to ICC chairman Greg Barclay, requesting the board’s support in forming a refugee team which can operate from Australia.
“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner. We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia,” read the letter from the female Afghanistan cricketers to the ICC, as quoted by the BBC.
All of ICC’s full-member nations are required to have a women’s national team. However, Afghanistan have managed to retain Test status despite disbanding their women’s team. Afghanistan only have their men’s national team. ICC cannot recognise Afghanistan women’s national team until the Afghanistan Cricket Board does so. Thus, the women cricketers want the ICC to help them form a refugee team.
“Through this team we aim to represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan. Our goals in having a refugee team are to develop and showcase our talent, give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan, and to draw attention to the challenges women of Afghanistan face,” the players said in the letter.
‘Sadness remains as women cannot represent our country’
The players want financial aid and support from the ICC in forming the refugee team which will help them bring Afghanistan women under one umbrella and showcase their talent at the highest level. The letter from the women players came days after the Afghanistan men’s team’s stellar performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.
Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan scripted history in the tournament as they recorded their first-ever victory against Australia in international cricket and also made it to their maiden T20 World Cup semi-final. Notably, Australia have refused to play bilateral cricket against Afghanistan due to the Taliban regime banning women’s cricket in the country.
Inspired by the men’s team’s success at the T20 World Cup 2024, the women players said they want to achieve something similar but they sadly don’t get the opportunity to play for their country at the highest level.
“We, the formerly contracted players of the Afghanistan Women’s team, are proud and excited by the achievements of Afghanistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and wish to congratulate Rashid Khan and his team on reaching the semi-finals,” read the letter to ICC.
“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers,” it added.
Afghanistan women cricketers have written a letter to ICC, requesting the world governing body of cricket to form a refugee team for them in Australia amid Taliban ban. Several Afghanistan women’s cricket team players had sought exile in Australia after Afghanistan returned to power in 2021. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
