ICC Forms Task Force to Support Displaced Afghan Women Cricketers: In a significant move to address the challenges faced by Afghan women cricketers, the ICC announced a task force to support Afghanistan’s female athletes in exile. The ban on women’s sports by the Taliban after coming back to power in August 2021, which led to the disbandment of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team and forced many players to go into exile, triggered this initiative.
The newly formed Afghanistan Cricket Task Force, chaired by ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, will focus on the promotion of cricket development and ensuring opportunities for women within Afghanistan. The ICC further stated its commitment to constructively use its influence in support of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in these initiatives.
The cause of Afghan women cricketers hit the international media when many of the former national team members began settling in Australia, and these women have made considerable attempts in support of their international careers in cricket and proposed the creation of a refugee team for Afghan women to compete globally. The players wrote to ICC Chairman Greg Barclay expressing their interest in representing all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to do so in Afghanistan.
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In support of exiled Afghan women cricketers, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) have expressed their support. The ECB has brought pressure on the ICC to require the ACB to hold accountable for the violations of rights to Afghan women by the Taliban, additionally demanding that the women’s team in exile receive monetary and advocacy support.
