Support for Afghan Women Cricketers

A sudden shift in stance from cricket’s governing body

has sparked cautious optimism among advocates

for Afghanistan’s displaced female athletes.

Three years after the Taliban’s resurgence forced

the women’s national team into exile,

the ICC unveiled a financial assistance package

and a dedicated support group last week.

Players currently scattered across Australian cities

expressed cautious hope, though details remain vague.

Sport governance expert Dr. Catherine Ordway,

instrumental in relocating team members,

described the announcement as exhilarating yet ambiguous.

“After relentless advocacy since 2021,

this sudden acknowledgment feels monumental,” she noted,

emphasizing the lack of prior communication from officials.

The initiative marks the first formal recognition

of Afghan women cricketers barred from international play,

though questions linger about funding allocation

and long-term pathways for participation.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a new initiative to support exiled Afghan women cricketers. In collaboration with the cricket boards of Australia, England, and India, the ICC aims to offer "meaningful support" to these players.

A key part of this initiative is a robust high-performance program. This program will provide advanced coaching, access to top-tier facilities, and personalized mentorship for the displaced athletes.

An anonymous source from the ICC, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, assured that the players would receive adequate resources. The source mentioned that the organization is currently determining the specific needs of the players.

According to an ICC spokesperson, the funding for this initiative will be in addition to the annual sum already provided to the Afghan Cricket Board (ACB), which is estimated to be between $17 and $27 million. This means that the Afghan women cricketers will no longer be financially dependent on the ACB.

Dr. Ordway, an advocate for women's cricket, is optimistic that the newly announced funding will be equivalent to the amount currently allocated to the men's team by the ACB. The ICC's announcement has generated anticipation, though many practical aspects remain to be clarified.

"We're certainly enthusiastic about the development, but now comes the challenging part of understanding the implementation details," explained Dr. Ordway, who continues to monitor the situation closely.

The news has resonated deeply with team members now living abroad. Tooba Khan Sarwari, who has found refuge in Australia after leaving Afghanistan, expressed profound gratitude for this development.

"The moment I received word about this initiative, I experienced an incredible rush of feelings," Sarwari shared in her conversation with ABC Sport correspondents.

"This decision carries tremendous significance for our entire team," she added, highlighting the potential impact on their future sporting opportunities.

Evacuation and Resettlement Efforts

Dr. Ordway, together with ex-Australian cricketer Mel Jones and Emma Staples, took action to evacuate members of the Afghan women's cricket team after witnessing the national women's football team board one of the final flights out of Kabul just before the airport was shut down in 2021.

The scenes were widely broadcast as the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, imposing a strict Deobandi interpretation of Sunni Islam that severely curtails women's rights, including in sports and broader society.

Although most of the cricket players have been resettled in Australia, the Afghan women's football team, which has also re-established itself, continues to fight for formal recognition.

Resettling in Australia after a harrowing escape from Afghanistan

the cricketers found refuge through emergency humanitarian visas

and slowly rebuilt their lives in new communities

Sarwari now balances playing for a local club in Canberra

with coaching roles at a grammar school

calling the sport her anchor during displacement

Evacuation efforts prioritized relocating entire families together

unlike earlier traumatic separations experienced by other athletes

"Preserving family unity was non-negotiable" emphasized support organizer Dr. Ordway

The complex nine-month operation involved dangerous overland routes

after Kabul's airport closure thwarted air evacuations

requiring coordinated efforts from international allies

For Sarwari, maintaining athletic identity proved crucial

"Batting and training preserved my sense of purpose

when everything else seemed lost" she reflected

amidst adapting to an unfamiliar homeland

Afghan Cricket's Complex Future

The future of Afghan cricket on the global stage remains complex amid ongoing Taliban restrictions. ICC guidelines stipulate that all full member nations must maintain both men's and women's national teams, creating a challenging situation for Afghanistan's cricket standing.

While bilateral matches with certain nations have faced postponements due to human rights considerations, Afghanistan's men's team continues to participate in ICC-sanctioned tournaments and maintains its test-playing status. This has created an unusual situation where the team competes internationally despite the home country's policies.

Some observers have suggested implementing sanctions similar to those used against South Africa during apartheid. However, female Afghan cricket representatives have consistently expressed support for their male counterparts.

According to experts familiar with the situation, women cricketers from Afghanistan take immense pride in seeing their national team compete internationally, viewing the men's team's success and the display of their national flag as important symbols of national identity despite their own challenging circumstances.

Sarwari emphasized the team’s symbolic role beyond sports, framing their mission as advocacy.

“Our presence on the field challenges the systemic erasure of women from public life,” she stated.

Dr. Ordway highlighted the ICC’s financial separation as a critical safeguard.

Isolating funds, she argued, prevents resource competition and underscores institutional commitment to gender equity.

The call for matched funding emerged as a priority.

“Equal investment signals that women’s cricket isn’t an afterthought,” Dr. Ordway noted.

For exiled athletes, visibility matters.

Sarwari stressed their platform amplifies struggles faced by Afghan women barred from education, employment, and autonomy.

“This isn’t just about games,” she reiterated.

“It’s about reclaiming space for those silenced.”

The ICC’s stance, while undefined, sparks hope.

Advocates see it as a litmus test for global sports bodies navigating political complexities.

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