Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, in a message on the exiled women’s national cricket team’s first match said on Friday that with every run scored in Melbourne, Afghan women cricketers sent a clear message that they will not be silenced.
While the team competes in exile, women in Afghanistan have been banned from sports entirely. The match, played Thursday in Melbourne as part of a charity event, was both a symbolic act of defiance and a testament to the players’ determination to keep their sport alive.
Bennett underscored the broader significance of their participation. “Afghan women belong in sports—at home and worldwide,” he said.
The team’s captain described the match as more than just a game. “This is a movement for change and hope,” she said, adding that their goal is to inspire Afghan girls and women to pursue education and sports despite increasing restrictions.
Since seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have banned women from playing sports and severely curtailed their access to education and public life. Many female athletes, including members of the national cricket team, have sought refuge abroad, where they continue to play, advocate, and resist.
For the Afghan women on the field in Melbourne, the match was not just about cricket—it was about sending a message to the world that they refuse to be erased.
