Afghanistan women cricketers write to ICC requesting refugee team in Australia
As many as 17 members of the former Afghanistan women’s cricket team have written to the International Cricket Council, seeking help from the global cricket board to set-up a refugee team in Australia.
The women have urged the 1CC to help realise the dreams of the Afghan women, who took up cricket, hoping to play together under one banner.
The Afghanistan women’s cricket team was disbanded in 2021, 11 years after it was formed. The decision came after the Taliban returned to power. The Taliban had banned women from engaging in sports activities, including cricket, in a move that received widespread criticism.
The former Afghanistan cricketers wrote a letter to ICC chair Greg Barclay, saying that they wanted to play as refugees and requested support and funds from the global cricket body.
“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner,” the letter read, as quoted by the BBC.
Notably, several of Afghanistan’s female athletes sought exile abroad. A majority of their football and cricket team players have settled in countries like Australia, USA and Canada.
“We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia,” it added.
The letter also stressed that they might not be getting recognition from the ACB at the moment, but they would want to have the opportunity to scout and train young Afghanistan women, who dream of playing cricket at the highest level.
‘OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE HOPE’
Notably, the ICC will not be able to recognise Afghanistan women’s cricket until the Afghanistan Cricket Board recognises them as a national team again. The ICC requires every member nation to have a men’s and women’s team. However, Afghanistan, at the moment, have only a men’s team. Notably, Australia have refused to play bilateral series twice with Afghanistan men, citing the Taliban’s decision against recognising women’s sports teams.
“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.
“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.”
The Afghanistan Cricket Board, in 2020, had agreed to offer central contracts to 25 women’s cricketers after announcing a trial for women’s cricket in Kabul. Even a tour of Oman for the Afghan women was planned in 2021. However, according to plan, it did not take place when the Taliban returned to power.
The letter from the group of cricketers comes days after Afghanistan men scripted history in the men’s T20 World Cup, reaching the semi-final for the first time. The women’s cricketers congratulated Rashid Khan and his team for making a mark at the global showpiece event. India won on Saturday, beating South Africa in the final in Barbados.
“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 letter read.
“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.”