In a groundbreaking moment for the refugee-seeking Afghanistan’s women’s team, composed of players who escaped the Taliban’s grip, will reunite to play an exhibition match in Australia.
This much-anticipated T20 game, which pits an Afghanistan Women’s XI against a Cricket Without Borders XI, is slated for January 30 at Junction Oval, Melbourne. The historic match preludes the Day/Night Women’s Ashes Pink Ball Test at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground, offering an incredible platform for these players to showcase their resilience and love for the sport.
The reunion represents more than just a cricket match; it’s the first time the women, who were forced to abandon their homeland in 2021 when the Taliban took power, will come together as a team. Spread between Canberra and Melbourne, many of these players have been involved in local cricket clubs but, until now, haven’t had the chance to unite as a formal team.
With the support of the Australian government and local cricket bodies like Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the match aims to honor these players’ journey and fortitude.
“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 CEO Nick Hockley.
“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,” he added.
Before the match, the players will gather in Melbourne for a two-day camp, a rare opportunity for them to reconnect and prepare as a team. The journey to this moment has been steeped in hardship. In 2020, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had taken bold steps by contracting 25 female players and holding trials in Kabul, with hopes of developing a women’s cricket program. However, those dreams were soon dashed when, following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, restrictions forbade women from engaging in most public activities, including sports.
Earlier this year, the group of exiled players penned a heartfelt appeal to the ICC, requesting support to establish 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 expressed. “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.”
For the Afghan players, this journey has been about much more than cricket. Living as refugees, they face the constant challenge of adapting to a new culture, supporting their families back in Afghanistan, and finding a new sense of belonging.
Firooza Amiri, one of the team members, shared the heartache and hope that fuels the group’s persistence. “With all the time that is going, the girls are losing hope to play cricket anymore. When you go to another country, it’s not easy to get into that country and start playing cricket,” she said. “But when there is no Afghanistan team, they are not going to keep playing. They are thinking about going to other sports maybe, and they are working to send money back to their families in Afghanistan. I know Australia is my second home, but still, I want to play for Afghanistan.”
The Afghan women’s cricket team is following in the footsteps of their country’s women’s soccer team, which has also found a new home in Australia. Backed by Melbourne Victory, the Afghan women’s soccer team has been climbing through Melbourne’s local leagues since 2021, serving as a beacon of hope for Afghan women in sports.
While plans for the January match are still being finalized, this milestone marks a new beginning for the Afghanistan women’s cricket team. Organizers hope it can grow into a series of regular fixtures for the team across Australia. In playing this historic game, these Afghan women aim not only to inspire other Afghan women but to remind the world of what’s possible when given a chance and support.
Loves all things female cricket