‘Give hope’: Refugees’ plea to cricket world

Exiled former members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team have urged the sport’s governing body to help establish a team based in Australia.

The cricketers, who fled Afghanistan to Australia after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, say the formation of a refugee team would “give hope” to the women remaining in their home country under the oppressive regime.

In a letter addressed to International Cricket Council chair Greg Barclay, the players said the council’s East Asian Cricket division could administer the team in Australia.

The appeal comes after the Afghanistan men’s team, still permitted to play by their government, beat Australia to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies last month.

‘Give hope’: Refugees’ plea to cricket world

“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,” the women wrote.

“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.

“As former Afghan cricketers now living abroad, we are unable to represent the Afghanistan women’s national team. We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia.”

The ICC was contacted for comment on the proposal, which the cricketers said would give them the chance to again represent their country “under one banner”.

“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,” they wrote.

“Like the Afghanistan men’s team are afforded, 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 to demonstrate the great victories they can achieve if given a chance through the leadership and financial support of the ICC.”

Afghanistan’s cricket board has continued to play in tournaments and receive ICC funding since the women’s program was abolished by the Taliban.

Australia has refused to play Afghanistan’s men’s side in a bilateral series since 2021, but captain Rashid Khan has urged Cricket Australia to reconsider its stance.

“We sportsmen only think about the cricket. Everyone is saying sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together,” Rashid said last month.

“So, for me, we’re always happy to play against any side, and that’s the only way where our cricket can improve day by day.

“Some things which are not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that’s something we can’t do anything about it. Wish we could do something and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don’t know what’s the solution for that.”