Afghan Women's XI
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Nahida Sapan[1] |
| Coach | Chelsea Moscript[1] |
| Team information | |
| Colours | Blue |
| Founded | 2025 |
| Last match | v. Cricket Without Borders Junction Oval, Melbourne 30 January 2025 |
Afghan Women's XI is a women's cricket team based in Australia. It consists of players who formerly played for the Afghanistan women's national cricket team who fled their country after the takeover of the Taliban in 2021.[2]
History
Australian cricketer Mel Jones facilitated the fleeing of members of the Afghanistan women's national cricket team from their country in 2021 following the Fall of Kabul to the Taliban. Former national team players eventually are able to settle in Australia, mostly in Melbourne and Canberra.[2][3]
The women's national team under the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) was effectively disbanded while the men's national team was retained. Afghanistan remains a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), despite the requirement to maintain a women's national team.[2][4] This was despite the Afghanistan Cricket Board not distributing ICC funding for the development of women's cricket.[2]
In June 2024, the women's players wrote to the ICC asking for permission to form an international refugees team.[2] Due to receiving no response to their letter, in January 2025, the Afghan women refugees formerly contracted with the ACB formed a team under the name "Afghan Women's XI".[5]
They played their first match against Cricket Without Borders Charity XI on 30 January 2025 at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.[1][6] Their opposition won by 7 wickets.[7] In April 2025, the ICC announced that they would be supporting Afghan women's cricket, with the 25 ACB contracted players of the Afghan Women's XI being viewed as the first potential beneficiaries.[8]
Fixtures and results
References
- ^ a b c Babar, Um-E-Aymen (30 January 2025). "Afghanistan cricket: Women's side play first cricket match since fleeing country after Taliban rule". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Afghanistan women's cricket: The refugee team who will not be silenced". BBC Sport. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ Pierik, Jon; Brettig, Daniel (27 January 2025). "Head gives up T20 gigs for Australia duty; Refugee cricketers send a message to the Taliban". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ Ammon, Elizabeth (11 February 2025). "ICC 'obeying Taliban' by ignoring own equality rules over Afghan women". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "Afghanistan's female cricketers reunite for a match after 3 years in exile due to Taliban ban". AP News. Associated Press. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ Nicholson, Raf (29 January 2025). "'We are making history': Afghanistan women's cricket team offer hope for future". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "Pressure mounts on ICC amid Afghanistan women's fundraising drive". ESPNcricinfo. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "ACB-contracted women cricketers could first benefit from ICC's new initiative". ESPN Cricinfo. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.