Women cricketers from Afghanistan unite for exhibition match in Melbourne

Afghanistan's women cricketers, now refugees in Australia, play their first match since fleeing the Taliban.

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A group of Afghan women cricketers, now living as refugees in Australia, played their first match in three years at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.

The game, a charity T20 match against Cricket Without Borders XI, marked a significant moment for the team, which had been unable to play since leaving Afghanistan after the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

The match was seen as a demonstration of the player’s commitment to their sport and an assertion of their rights to participate in activities restricted by the Taliban regime.

Afghanistan women's team captain Nahida Sapan described the match as an essential step for Afghan women, hoping it would lead to greater opportunities in sports and education. "This match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport, and the future," Sapan said.

Since the Taliban's takeover, Afghan women have been banned from playing international sports, including cricket. This exhibition game provided a platform for the players to showcase their skills despite facing significant challenges, including displacement and limited resources. Based in Melbourne and Canberra, the team had difficulty training and coming together for matches.

 

 

 

 

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Sapan and teammate Firooza Amiri emphasised the significance of the game for the Afghan women's cause. “This is a historic moment,” Sapan said. Amiri added, “We are looking for a win. This is our first match together.”

Cricket Australia, Cricket Without Borders, and the Australian government organised the match. Tim Watts, Australia’s federal assistant minister for foreign affairs, highlighted the importance of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team as a symbol of resilience and courage and reaffirmed the Australian government’s commitment to advocating for women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said the match represented a step forward for the Afghanistan women's team and hoped it would lead to future opportunities. “This is the first step,” Hockley said. “We hope this match raises awareness and sparks conversations globally."

The Australian government has provided humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, including $174 million in support, while Cricket Australia has chosen not to boycott Afghanistan’s men’s team in ICC events.

Previously, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that he had requested arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in the country.

The two individuals named in the request are Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's supreme spiritual leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the group's chief justice since 2021.

Khan's office stated that investigators had found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Akhundzada and Haqqani bear criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of gender-based persecution.