Afghan Women's Cricket Team Seeks ICC Clarity Over Future

The Afghanistan Women’s Cricket team has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to seek clarity over their future prospects. 

The players of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team spoke to BBC Sport after winning the first match of their tour of England. They defeated the MCC Foundation XI at the Worsley Cricket Ground in High Wycombe. 

For the Afghan Women, the victory was significant and an emotional one. It was their first win as a team since they fled their home country, Afghanistan about five years ago, after they received death threats from the Taliban. 

The celebrations of the team at the end of the match comes as a powerful reminder on how far the team has come. But despite the victory, these women have a few major questions unanswered with regards to what lies ahead for them in the future. 

These women are for now settled in Australia, and also train there. But the players have repeatedly called on the ICC to recognise them once again as an international team and commit to funding. 

One of the batters, Firooza Amiri, said, “The uncertainty about our future as a team is very worrying for us.” She further added, “Where are we going to end up? What is the next step? We need a clear answer.” “We are fully committed to this team, and we have put everything else aside to play cricket. But we also need the ICC to give us a clear answer. Are they going to support us?”

A Pep Talk for The Afghan (W) Team from the English Royalty

Since the Afghanistan Women’s Cricket team does not have an official recognition from the ICC, they are touring as the ‘Afghan Refugee Women’s Team’ and wearing a specially designed badge instead of the Afghanistan official crest. 

After their first win in England, the girls were screaming everywhere and crying too, said all-rounder of the team, Firooza Afghan. She also said, “This match gives the girls a lot of confidence. When we play cricket, we are not just playing for ourselves. It is for Afghanistan, and it is for the women and girls back in our country.”

The win rounded off a remarkable week for the player, who also met King Charles on the eve of the match. “He was very nice to all of us. He asked about our journey and that gave us the inspiration to play and win today.” Afghan said. 

Batter, Amiri added, “He was such an amazing and kind man. He was very interested in hearing about our journey. We shared our story with him and it was just beautiful.” 

The Afghanistan Refugee Women’s team will play five matches during their tour to England and will also attend the Women’s T20 World Cup Final at the Lord’s. The Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, Clare Connor, played an important role in organising the tour for the Afghan women. 

“The objective of the tour were to provide some really good cricketing experiences, but also experiences that they will hopefully remember forever and that remind them cricket is a sport where they are still loved and cared for. Meeting these amazing women, hearing their voices, their stories, and seeing their love for the game and for each other has been unbelievably special,” Connor Said. 

We Have Got to Find an Answer

The Afghan Women’s Cricket team’s relationship with the ICC has been anything but simple. Since escaping from their country in 2021, the players have several times accused the Apex cricket governing body of ignoring them and failing in their duty to care for them. 

Last month, the football’s governing body, FIFA approved the return of the Afghan women’s national football team to international competition. The cricketers now hope that the ICC will follow suit. “They deserve to be playing as Afghanistan’s national women’s football team, and we deserve the same thing,” Amiri said. 

“We are hoping that after all these matches and all the hard work we have put in, the ICC will see this team, recognise us, and finally give us what we deserve.” I just want to tell them that every short and every wicket is for you. We play for your voice and we play for your freedom, Afghan said.