MELBOURNE, Australia — A pledge of support from the International Cricket Council has given a group of exiled Afghan women cricketers a renewed sense of hope — and for some, tears — as they look to revive their careers and reclaim visibility on the international stage.
The ICC, the global governing body of cricket, announced on Sunday that it will establish a dedicated fund to support Afghan women cricketers who fled the country following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Most of the players have resettled in Australia, with others living in the United Kingdom and Canada.
While the ICC did not disclose financial details or a timeline for disbursement, the announcement was received as a major step forward by the players, who have lived in exile without official recognition.
“We feel inspired and valued,” said Nahida Sapan, a former player with the Afghanistan women’s team now based in Melbourne. “This news gave us a lot of confidence for the future. We messaged and called each other about it — some of the girls were crying because we worked really hard for it.”
Sapan was among 25 women offered contracts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2020, a move that had raised hopes for a pathway to international competition. Those hopes were extinguished when the Taliban seized control of Kabul the following year and dismantled most women’s sports programs.
In January, the exiled players, led by Sapan, played their first match in exile — an exhibition game against a local team organized by Cricket Without Borders, an Australian non-profit promoting women’s cricket. Though unofficial, the match was supported by Cricket Australia and local government officials.
The ICC said it would coordinate efforts with the Indian, Australian and English cricket boards to create a task force focused on sustaining the players’ development and access to the sport. However, the governing body stopped short of acknowledging whether the players might one day be formally recognized as a national team.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s full membership status over the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports and other restrictions on women and girls. Despite those calls, the Afghanistan men’s team continues to receive ICC funding and participate in international tournaments.
Australia and several other cricketing nations have refused to engage in bilateral series with the Afghanistan men’s team, citing the deteriorating rights of women under Taliban rule. Since returning to power, the Taliban have barred women from secondary and university education, restricted their ability to work, and imposed strict dress codes and limitations on their movement.
The Taliban have said they support women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.
Sapan said the women were not surprised that no male Afghan cricketers had reached out following the ICC’s announcement.
“It’s difficult,” she said. “We know about the situation in Afghanistan. We know the cricket board can’t support us because if they do, they might lose the chance to keep the men’s team playing. Supporting us might close the cricket board’s door entirely.”
Still, she and her teammates remain determined to keep playing — and to keep being seen.
