The Afghanistan cricket team has been a center of discussion among the cricket fraternity, especially in recent times, ever since the calls to boycott the Afghanistan men’s team during the upcoming 9th edition of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 from 19th February 2025.

England and Australia, both countries as part of the protest against the condition of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule have decided to not be a part of a bilateral series against Afghanistan, however, they continue to face Afghanistan in the ICC events. The South African Cricket Board (CSA) joined them calling out for a collective boycott of the Afghanistan men’s team for the horrendous situation of women in Afghanistan.
The Taliban group of people launched a ruthless attack on Afghanistan and took over political control of the country in August 2021. Since their take-over, the situation has gone from bad to worse, especially for women, with all their rights and freedom being taken away from them. A week or so ago, the women in Afghanistan dealt another blow, the Taliban rulers prohibited the women from speaking in public, while also stating that they must not be heard singing or reading aloud even inside their homes.
The day-to-day life was normal and in a good way progressing towards a brighter future for women, before the Taliban attack. The Afghanistan women’s team which was first formed in 2010, received their first-ever central contracts in November 2020 to 25 players to form a solid side that will be able to compete in ICC tournaments.
However, after the attack, it all turned gloomy for all those athletes in the country. As a result, a group of women players left the country seeking refuge in Pakistan, but Australia granted them emergency visas to reside in the country and they have formed their base in Melbourne and Canberra.
“I think the frustration has been the lack of conversation around it. And so, here’s this amazing group of women who are trying to rebuild their lives and still connect to cricket. And they’ve hardly had a conversation with our leaders right across the world. And that’s the most frustrating thing for me,” said former Australian cricketer Mel Jones, who played a crucial role in helping Afghan women cricketers find a safe place to reside in Australia.
The Afghanistan men’s team, on the other hand, have not only just continued to represent their country in international cricket, but they have improved in leaps and bounds in terms of being competitive on the field. The Afghanistan men’s team led by skipper Rashid Khan qualified for their maiden appearance in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, in the USA and the West Indies by defeating Bangladesh by 8 runs in the final league stage game in the tournament. However, they ended up on the losing side against South Africa by 9 wickets in the first semi-final.
“They are in a good position at the moment in the world and if they start supporting us, they’ll have a big impact on our team. If they can hear my voice from here: Afghanistan, national players, please, please be the voice of the girls at the moment. Please do more for us. Start doing something for women. You are the voice of Afghanistan. They are the most famous people at the moment. They can be the voice of millions and millions of girls,” Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi in a chat with the EspnCricinfo’s Powerplay Podcast call out the Afghanistan men’s team for providing them with a supportive voice for bringing about positive change for the future of women in different aspects of life.
The England women’s team skipper Heather Knight met a few members of the Afghanistan women’s team during the 2nd ODI at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, of the ongoing 8th edition of the multi-format Women’s Ashes 2025.
She also provided a supportive voice to them. A few members of the Afghanistan Women’s team will represent the Afghan Women’s XI against the Cricket Without Borders side at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, in a friendly encounter on 30th January 2025 (Thursday), the same day when the One-off Pink-ball Ashes Test match will get underway at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
(Quotes sourced from EspnCricinfo)

Loves all things female cricket