England’s ICC Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan on Wednesday sparked political calls for a boycott in protest of Taliban rule. Despite the controversy, Afghanistan’s men’s team continues to compete internationally, even though the country lacks a women’s team, a requirement under ICC regulations that has seemingly gone unenforced.
Since the Taliban regained control in 2021, Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team fled the country, with most players seeking refuge in Australia. Over the past three years, they have repeatedly pleaded with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for recognition and support but claim they have been ignored and sidelined.
In January, Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricketers played an exhibition match against Cricket Without Borders (CWOB), marking their first official appearance since their exile. “It’s time for ICC to take action and recognise us as a national team, and let us compete on the world stage, or recognise us as a refugee team, then we can represent Afghanistan,” said Afghanistan women’s cricketer Firooza Amiri.
Despite calls for an England boycott of their match against Afghanistan, Amiri believes such an act would not make a difference. Speaking to Sky Sports News, she said, “It’s good to see that the world wants to support us and support Afghan women, but I personally think a boycott doesn’t have any impact.”
Sky Sports News reports that before the Taliban’s takeover, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had committed to a women’s cricket program, selecting 25 players. However, after mid-2021, all progress halted. The ICC subsequently formed the Afghanistan Working Group to address various governance and funding issues, including women’s cricket, but the board remained all-male and later increased the men’s budget while providing no updates on the women’s team.
Shubham Jain, a fellow at the Centre for Sport & Human Rights and a doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, criticized this exclusion. “The Afghan women players who are in exile are not part of this. They have not been communicated to, to the best of my knowledge, and they need to have a seat at the table,” he told Sky Sports News. “They need to have their voices heard, to tell this working group what they can do to change their lives.”
While the ICC has acknowledged communication with the exiled players, no direct relationship exists, as this responsibility lies with the ACB. The ongoing situation raises questions about the ICC’s commitment to upholding its regulations and supporting women’s cricket in Afghanistan.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
