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Agence France-Presse

Members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team effectively disbanded after the Taliban returned to power three years ago have urged officials to help them re-form as a refugee side based in Australia.
The Afghanistan men’s team have captivated cricket fans worldwide by their rapid rise to the game’s Test-match elite, with Rashid Khan’s side also reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last week.
But their success has led to a renewed focus on how women’s competitive sport in Afghanistan has collapsed since the Taliban regained power.
As one of just 12 Test-playing teams, Afghanistan are required to have a women’s team under International Cricket Council regulations.

But the ICC have so far resisted calls to suspend Afghanistan from international competition for failing to field a women’s side.
ICC officials have instead said they are mandated to work through their member boards, leaving the Afghanistan women’s team frozen out from the world game.
But the women cricketers contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board the year before the Taliban took over attempted to end the deadlock in an open letter to ICC chairman Greg Barclay published on Monday.
“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 said.
“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.
“We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia. It could be administered by the East Asian Cricket office based at Cricket Australia.
“Through this team we aim to represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan.”
Following the Taliban takeover, a number of Afghanistan women cricketers fled the country for Australia, where they play for local club teams.
They accept that any new side cannot be recognised officially as an Afghanistan national team, but have called on the ICC to help them establish and run a “cricket team without borders”.

“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 letter said.
“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 Taliban government has imposed curbs on women and girls condemned by the United Nations as “gender apartheid” and has not been recognised by any country since its 2021 takeover, complicating Afghanistan’s role in international sport.
Nevertheless, a gender-balanced team of three men and three women will represent Afghanistan at this month’s Olympic Games in Paris, although all the female competitors are based outside the country.


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Afghanistan women want ICC help to create refugee cricket team in Australia

Women's cricket

An Afghan woman posing with her cricket bat in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2022. The ruling Taliban have banned women from competitive sports as well as most schooling and many realms of work. Photo: AP

The success of Afghanistan’s men’s team at the T20 World Cup has led to a renewed focus on how women’s sport in that country has collapsed. Photo: AP

Members of Afghanistan’s first national women’s cricket team training in Kabul in 2011. Photo: AFP

T20 World Cup: India end drought with win over South Africa, Virat Kohli calls it quits

India’s players celebrate after beating South Africa in the T20 World Cup final. Photo: AP

India’s Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 cricket immediately after the World Cup victory. Photo: AP

India fans celebrate on the streets after they clinched their first global title since 2013. Photo: AFP

Taliban told to ‘include women’ in public life during UN talks in Qatar

The Taliban’s government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. Mujahid is attending UN-convened talks in Doha, Qatar. Photo: EPA-EFE

Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General. Photo: EPA-EFE

Afghan burka-clad women at a market in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Photo: AFP

A Taliban security guard at a mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Paris Olympics: Afghanistan to have gender-balanced team in first Games since Taliban

Afghanistan will take an equal number of male and female athletes to compete at the Paris Olympics. Photo: DPA

Taliban government has imposed curbs on women and girls competing in sport. Photo: EPA

Afghanistan compete in international sport, such as the T20 cricket, pictured here. Photo: AP

Sport

Cricket

After being frozen out by the rise of the Taliban, the women have called on the ICC to help them establish and run a ‘team without borders’


After being frozen out of the sport by the rise of the Taliban, the women have called on the ICC to help them establish and run a ‘cricket team without borders’.


ICC (International Cricket Council)

Taliban