The T20 match will be between the Afghanistan women's XI and a Cricket Without Borders XI on the opening day of the Test, set to be played under floodlights. It will be the first time the 20 players who fled Afghanistan in 2021 will be able to play together under the Afghanistan flag since arriving in Australia.

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said: “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.

“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.”

Cricket Australia has maintained a stern stance over the rights and repression of women in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021, and have refused the play the men's side in bilateral series' three times. The two teams have, however, faced each other in ICC tournaments.

In July, 17 female cricketers who were awarded Afghanistan Cricket Board contracts in 2020 (before Taliban took over) wrote to the ICC for assistance in setting up a refugee team.

The same month, Hockley had spoken on the development: "We understand that the Afghanistan women based in Australia have written to the ICC. That's a matter for the ICC to consider. We have meetings coming up in Colombo in July, and I'm sure it will be a topic of conversation. The Afghan women residing in Australia are engaged with the cricketing community, and they're receiving excellent support from across the community. But it's not something we were directly involved in."

The exhibition match will be played on January 30 at the Junction Oval.

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