Afghanistan women cricketers who fled to Australia after the Taliban takeover have expressed their desire to play together and will play a T20 match against a Cricket without Borders Xl, which will take place on January 30 at Junction Oval ahead of the Women’s Ashes at MCG.
The Afghan players now live in Canberra and Melbourne and many play for local cricket clubs but have not been able to form themselves into a representative team.
However, the Australian government has been involved in helping the set up the match.
“Many people across cricket and the community have come together to provide support for members of the Afghanistan women’s team since their relocation to Australia and this match will be a celebration of that work,” said Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley.
Afghanistan women’s players living as refugees in Australia will get to play together in an exhibition match in January
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“I’m delighted that their ambition to play together will be achieved in this exhibition match which will be a wonderful addition to the many events around the Day/Night Women’s Ashes Test.”
Earlier in July, 17 of the players who contracted with Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2020 before Taliban takeover has wrote a letter to ICC asking for an assistance to set up a refugee team in Australia.
“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, 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.”
On Tuesday, Cricket Australia has announced a partnership with UNICEF Australia as part of the foundation’s “Until Every Girl Can Play” campaign aimed at gender equality.
Since the Taliban regained power, Cricket Australia has postponed proposed bilateral series against Afghanistan on three occasions since 2021, citing over deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule.
