On a special Thursday in Australia, Afghanistan’s women cricketers played their first match since escaping the Taliban three years ago. Captain Nahida Sapan hopes this game will inspire change for women everywhere.
In August 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, many female athletes had to flee the country. They faced strict rules that stopped them from playing sports and getting an education. Most of the women from the national cricket team settled in Australia, where they got together for the first time to play a charity match in Melbourne.
“We’re not just a team; we’re a movement for change,” Captain Sapan shared before the game. “We have big dreams for this match because it can help Afghan women have better education and opportunities in sports.”
In November 2020, the Afghanistan Cricket Board began offering contracts to 25 talented women cricketers. Sadly, before they could play together, the Taliban took control of Kabul and banned women from cricket.
Cricketer Firooza Amiri expressed how special it was to be back with her teammates after losing so much in Afghanistan. “We’re here to represent millions of Afghan women who are denied their rights,” she said.
Of the 25 women who had contracts, 22 now live in Melbourne and Canberra. Some players want to create a refugee team with official support from the International Cricket Council (ICC). They hope this will allow all Afghan women to unite and represent their country, as expressed in a letter they wrote last year.
Unfortunately, the ICC has not responded to their requests. The charity match took place at Melbourne’s Junction Oval, a famous cricket ground. The Afghan team played against a representative team from Cricket Without Borders, which encourages young women to get involved in cricket.
Cricket Australia has supported this match and promised to promote the Afghan women’s team on bigger stages. “I am extremely proud of everyone in Australian cricket who has helped the players since they arrived here,” said Cricket Australia’s chief Nick Hockley.
Due to human rights issues, Australia has not played several matches against the male Afghan cricket team in recent years.