Melbourne, Australia – Afghan cricket players will finally obtain high -level support in order to join the international competition after the world director of sport has created a working group to coordinate direct funding, elite coaching and installations for displaced players.
Dozens of players from the National Women’s Team of Afghanistan have moved to Australia after the Taliban retired from the country in 2021 and imposed prohibitions in female sports. Since then, players have been looking for official support.
The International Cricket Council published a declaration on Sunday by saying that it had concluded an agreement with national sport associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan players.
The president of the ICC, Jay Shah, said that his organization was “deeply determined to promote inclusiveness and guarantee that each cricket player has the opportunity to shine, whatever their situation”.
“The ICC thinks that this (support funds) will not only help preserve the sports careers of Afghan cricket players, but also to strengthen the role of sport as a unifying force that transcends borders and adversity,” he said.
An XI Female Afghan played a border without borders XI at the Junction of Melbourne in a exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January, bringing together 21 players who were once under contract to the Afghan Cricket Council.
Since his departure from Afghanistan, many cricket players have been based in the Australian capital and Melbourne and have been playing for club teams in local competitions.
Firooza Amiri said before this exhibition match in January that his team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who refused their rights”.
Amiri fled his country of origin with his family and first went to Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia.
According to the domination of the Taliban, the Afghan Cricket Board of Directors cannot align a national female team because the laws of the country prohibit women from playing sports, studying and studying medical, movements that have been criticized by world groups, including the international criminal court.
Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council and a condition for this status should demand that it have a national women’s team.
England and Australia have refused to participate in direct series against Afghanistan to protest, but continue to play against Afghan men at ICC events.
It was the historic male race of Afghanistan in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year which sparked the members of the female team to approach the ICC on funding again.
The group first approached the ICC in 2023, requesting support for a team of refugees based in Australia to join international cricket.