Afghan women’s cricketing dreams find new wings with ICC’s support

It’s autumn in Australia, but for the Afghan women cricketers in exile, April brought a long-awaited shift. The International Cricket Council announced a support initiative for the team—something they’ve been calling for since fleeing the Taliban nearly four years ago. Their reaction: “Overwhelmed,” “game-changing,” and “the start of something exciting.”

Once contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, the players have kept the game alive in local Australian clubs.
But their goal has always been bigger: to play together again, and represent Afghan women on the world stage.

Now, they’ve been seen. The ICC, alongside the BCCI, ECB, and Cricket Australia, is setting up a task force and funding to support them—including a high-performance program with professional coaching and mentorship.

It’s a big step forward. And it’s only the beginning.