Afghanistan’s Women Cricketers welcome financial support from ICC

Afghanistan’s women cricketers have expressed gratitude for the ICC’s financial support, offering hope for their professional careers abroad.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced financial support for Afghanistan women cricketers in exile, a move that was met with tears and joy. This decision, announced on Thursday, April 17, 2025, involves creating a dedicated fund to assist Afghanistan women cricketers who fled the country after the Taliban took control.

The initiative has brought renewed hope for these players who have struggled for years, facing uncertainty and pressure to return to competitive cricket.

Nahida Sapan, the captain of Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team in exile, expressed her emotions in response to the announcement. “We messaged and called each other. Some girls cried because we had worked so hard,” she said, highlighting the long road to this moment. The announcement has provided a much-needed sense of recognition for Afghanistan women cricketers who were previously sidelined.

The ICC, in collaboration with the cricket boards of India, Australia, and England, is setting up a joint team of representatives from these boards to support the Afghanistan women’s players and ensure their professional careers continue. This partnership aims to create opportunities for these players, who had previously been denied a platform to showcase their talents due to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban regime.

In 2020, Afghan women cricketers had signed 25 official contracts, hopeful of following in the footsteps of the men’s team on the global stage. However, after the Taliban’s resurgence, restrictions on women’s activities led to the collapse of these aspirations, forcing many players to seek refuge in countries like Australia, the UK, and Canada. The women were left with no means to continue their careers in Afghanistan.

While the Afghanistan men’s team continues to receive ICC funding, several countries, including Australia and England, have refused to play bilateral series against Afghanistan due to the restrictions imposed on women. Despite these challenges, the women cricketers hope that the ICC’s new initiative will mark the beginning of their recognition. However, no male player from the Afghanistan men’s team has publicly supported this decision, with Nahida Sapan acknowledging the difficulty for the male players.

This initiative by the ICC is an important step toward providing the Afghanistan women cricketers with the resources and opportunities they need to revive their careers. It also serves as a symbolic gesture, recognizing their perseverance and talent despite the challenges they have faced.

The continued collaboration between international cricket bodies and Afghanistan’s cricketers is crucial for ensuring that these women are given a chance to compete at the highest level, regardless of the political situation in their home country.

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