Cricket: 'Afghanistan women's history is starting again'

After years of fighting, Afghanistan's women's cricket team has now won support from the sport's governing body. One exiled player told DW this marks a significant leap in a long, grueling battle.

Cricket's governing body (ICC) has announced it will form a dedicated task force to support Afghanistan's women cricketers who have been displaced by the Taliban. The news is a joyful surprise to many of the women battling to represent their nation over the last three years.

"I can't describe my feelings when I heard the news," Firooza Afghan told DW. "I cannot say that it's just three years. I think it's more than 20 years."

"When we were in Afghanistan, other women before us ... were fighting for this team since 2010. They were fighting to have a team so we could represent our country like other women from countries like Pakistan, India and Australia. It's big news not just for us, it's big news for all Afghan women around the world, and I believe that the Afghanistan women and girls ... deserve this chance," she said.

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Three years in exlie

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, and since then, women have been barred from most areas of public life, including sports. This meant that women's cricket was no longer recognized, prompting the national team's players to write to the ICC asking to be recognized as a refugee team. Six months after getting her contract to play cricket for her country, Afghan, like many of her teammates, had to flee to Australia.

Pressure from the governments of some of the leading cricketing nations on the ICC followed. Human Rights Watch even called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan's membership and ban the men's team, which regularly participates in World Cups, from competing. No action against the men's team has ever materialized, nor was any alteration made to the country's ICC membership even though Afghanistan does not have a women's team, which is a requirement of the ICC. The announcement in April is, therefore, a huge moment.

Cricket fans in England protested the men's team playing Afghanistan in February Image: Lucy North/empics//PA Wire/picture alliance

The task force, formed in association with the most prominent cricketing associations in the global game, namely India, England and Australia, includes "a dedicated fund to provide direct monetary assistance, ensuring these cricketers have the resources they need to continue pursuing the game they love," according to the ICC statement.

"This will be complemented by a robust high-performance programme offering advanced coaching, world-class facilities, and tailored mentorship to help them reach their full potential."

A return that sends a message

For Afghan, this latest development is just the next step in tilting the game back in their favor. After the exiled women played their first game in more than three years in January — playing against Cricket Without Borders in Australia in blue shirts but without the country's flag or colors — the team is ready to return.

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"This isn't the end. We've just started," Afghan said. "I think the Afghanistan women's history is now about starting again. I think the happy spot will come because, you know, if you see the past, we were just fighting for that, and we were trying to get our rights. But I hope that with this support from ICC, with this chance, we can make history for all Afghan women."

The impact of this news may extend beyond the current group.

"The first time when I was a kid, I just see the men's matches. And then I decided to play cricket, and I just asked my mom, 'Why doesn't Afghanistan have women's team?' And she said, 'Maybe one day you, you girls can make it,'" Afghan said. "And I just want that for the new generation, that they want to play cricket and they can see the other Afghanistan women and are encouraged to come and play."

The hope now is that the ICC's initiative will quickly turn into action and that Afghanistan's women will be able to represent their country again.

The interview was conducted by Janek Speight.

Edited by: Matt Pearson.

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