LAUSANNE, April 15, 2025 - April 13, 2025 marked a huge milestone in the journey of the Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team, which fled the Taliban three and a half years ago, following the International Cricket Council’s announcement of a dedicated task force aimed at supporting displaced Afghan women cricketers.
A DEDICATED FUND The ICC said it will join forces with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) “to assist Afghanistan’s Women’s team in their personal and professional development.”
A dedicated fund will be created to provide support for the players, who will also have access to a strong high-performance programme that offers advanced coaching, world-class facilities and personalised mentorship.
BIG HOPE Nahida Sapan, captain of the Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team, described the news as “a big hope”, in an interview with The Sports Ambassador. Sapan told Tracey Holmes: “It was a really special day. I can say it's more than special. So it's really big news, not just for me, not just for the Afghan women's cricket team but also for Afghan women around the world. I don't have any words to describe it, but I can say it's a big hope.”
STEADFAST DEDICATION In the press release by the ICC, Jay Shah, the ICC Chair said: “At the International Cricket Council, we are deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances.
“In collaboration with our valued partners, we are proud to launch this task force and support fund, complemented by a comprehensive high-performance programme, to ensure displaced Afghan women cricketers can continue their journey in the sport. This initiative reflects our steadfast dedication to cricket’s global growth and its power to inspire unity, resilience, and hope.”
THE JOURNEY Following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021, hundreds of Afghan women athletes escaped the regime's ban on women's sports and education, with most of the national women's cricket side settling as refugees in Australia. The women’s cricket team has been lobbying the ICC to form a refugee team.
In January 2025, Sapan led an Afghanistan Women's XI on to the field at the Junction Oval in Melbourne to play their first ever match since fleeing their country. It was a charity match against a Cricket Without Borders XI.
“When they gave us this jersey, it was the best moment in my life, not just in my life, all the team members. A lot of the girls cried and so did I. It was really special to us, because after a long time we finally wore this jersey. We fought for this for a long, long time, not only in Australia, but also in Afghanistan,” Sapan told The Sports Ambassador.
FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS Prior to the IOC presidential election in Greece, Tracey Holmes, founder of The Sports Ambassador, had asked Kirsty Coventry - one of the seven candidates, who would go on to become the first female president of the IOC - during the AIPS’ “Let’s Talk to the IOC Presidential Candidates” series about her plans for Afghan women cricketers.
Coventry revealed that she would be having a meeting with the ICC chairman the following week, during which they would also discuss the plight of the Afghan women. “She (Coventry) sent me a message afterwards and said she had done that, and that there was, you know, moves afoot,” Holmes said in her podcast.
Around one month later, the ICC has announced this initiative. In her response on 24 February, Coventry said: "Becoming a part of the Olympic programme is making sure that the development of both men and women's sport across the globe is done equally. So we will definitely have that conversation, and I would 100% be honoured to fight for women's rights across the world."
