Afghanistan’s Women Cricketers: Banned, Ignored, and in Exile

SPORTS

Afghanistan’s Women Cricketers: Banned, Ignored, and in Exile

28 DEC 2024

When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, they imposed severe restrictions on women’s rights, banning them from education, sports, and public spaces. Among the countless lives affected were the Afghanistan women’s cricket team, who fled their homeland seeking safety. Now residing in exile in Australia, these athletes remain sidelined by the international cricket community.

The Taliban’s resurgence marked the start of a draconian regime for Afghan women. The restrictions go beyond sports—women are banned from attending high school and university, working with international NGOs, traveling alone, or speaking in public. Even speaking aloud inside their homes is prohibited. Violations lead to severe punishments, including imprisonment or public stoning.

For female athletes, the risks were even higher. Many endured raids on their homes, where they were forced to destroy their cricket kits to avoid being identified. The women’s cricket team, once a symbol of hope and progress, became an emblem of defiance in a country now silencing half its population.

In the chaos following the Taliban’s return, the women’s cricket team fled to Pakistan before securing emergency visas to Australia. Though now physically safe, their journey has not been easy. Stripped of their connection to their homeland, they struggle to keep their dreams of playing cricket alive in exile.

Despite their repeated pleas, the Afghanistan women’s cricket team has received no support or acknowledgment from the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Payments to the women’s team stopped, and all communication from the ACB ceased.

In 2023, the players wrote to the ICC, requesting assistance in forming a refugee team based in Australia. Their vision was to represent Afghan women globally, recruit and train new players, and prove the talent of Afghan women in cricket. However, the ICC did not respond to their heartfelt appeal.

The situation highlights a glaring contradiction: the Afghanistan men’s team continues to compete internationally despite the Taliban’s ban on women’s cricket, which violates ICC membership requirements. The men’s team has not only retained its Test status but has also achieved significant milestones, such as reaching the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup.

Organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned the ICC’s inaction, calling it a failure to uphold its anti-discrimination values. Amnesty International’s Stephen Cockburn emphasized the need for the cricketing community to support Afghan women cricketers as a symbol of international outrage against their treatment. In response to the deteriorating human rights situation, Australia canceled cricket series with Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s oppressive policies against women and girls. However, such actions remain isolated, with no comprehensive plan to support the women’s cricket team.

Despite these challenges, the team has found support from community cricket clubs in Australia. For the players, cricket remains more than a sport—it is a lifeline, a reminder of their identity, and a platform to inspire others.

One player, now living in exile, keeps a medal from her first cricket victory in Australia as a cherished memory. “Cricket gave me hope when everything else was taken away,” she says.

The Afghanistan women’s cricket team dreams of representing Afghan women globally through a refugee team. They aim to train and recruit others, ensuring that the spirit of cricket thrives despite the Taliban’s attempts to suppress it.