Following Afghanistan's impressive showing at the 2024 T20 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals of a major ICC tournament for the first time, formerly contracted members of the now-defunct Afghanistan women's team, currently based in Australia, have reached out to the ICC for help.
Renowned journalist Alison Mitchell shared a letter sent to the ICC chair Greg Barclay, where the members of the women's team have congratulated the men's team for their success at the T20 World Cup, while also expressing their sorrow at not being able to represent Afghanistan themselves.
"A profound sadness remains"
"We, the formerly contracted players of the Afghanistan Women’s team, are proud and excited by the achievements of Afghanistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and wish to congratulate Rashid Khan and his team on reaching the semi-finals," the letter reads.
"A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers. As former Afghan Cricketers now living abroad, we are unable to represent the Afghanistan women’s national team."
In the letter, the members of the women's team have requested the ICC to help them setup a refugee team in Australia which would aim to "represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan".
"Our goal is to give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan"
"We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia. It could be administered by the East Asian Cricket office based at Cricket Australia," the letter reads.
"Creating a team of Afghan refugees can give us a chance to play, coach and administer a cricket team without borders. The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.
"To be a full member nation, the ICC's own rules say that they have to have a women's cricket team and pathways for that. So, what's the point of the rules?"
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 26, 2024
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🤝 @KiaUK #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/wLNOTt8f43
"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 female cricketers of Afghanistan had to flee the country following the Tailban takeover in 2021. They found refuge in Australia and have been active in local club cricket, but haven't received any organisational support.
"Like the Afghanistan men’s team are afforded, 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."
After Afghanistan’s Men made it to the #T20WorldCup semi-finals, members of the former #Afghanistan Women’s Cricket team based in Aus have written to the @ICC asking for support in setting up a refugee team. They want this letter to be shared #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/zATg4eBPla
— Alison Mitchell (@AlisonMitchell) July 1, 2024
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