Three years after fleeing Taliban rule, Afghanistan women's cricket team reunites for match

Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team reunited on Thursday and played their first match in three years since fleeing their homes after the fall of Kabul into the hands of the Taliban. It was a charity match which was played in Melbourne, Australia.

Team captain Nahida Sapan said she hoped the match would spark “a movement for change.”

Hundreds of women athletes fled Afghanistan when the Taliban took over in August 2021. These athletes escaped the Taliban’s hardline stance, which banned women from playing sports and seeking education.

Most of the national women’s cricket team settled as refugees in Australia.

“Together, we’re building not just a team; we’re building a movement for change and promise,” captain Sapan said in the run-up to the game.

“We have big hopes for this match because this match can open doors for Afghan women—for education, sports, and the future,” Sapan said.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board made a significant stride in November 2020 when it handed 25 promising women cricketers professional contracts.

However, before the squad had a chance to play together, the Taliban captured Kabul and declared an end to women’s cricket.

“We have never played together as a team before,” said cricketer Firooza Amiri.

“We are going to represent millions of Afghan women who are in Afghanistan and denied their rights. It’s very special for all of us to get back together after three years, after leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan,” she said.

Out of the 25 women who were once contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, 22 now live in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Canberra. Some of them have asked the International Cricket Council to recognise a refugee team.

“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers,” some players wrote in a joint letter last year.

“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.”

The council has so far ignored these calls.

Due to human rights concerns, Australia has recently boycotted several non-tournament matches against Afghanistan’s men’s team.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, marking the collapse of the Afghan government and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This takeover occurred amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, leading to the rapid disintegration of the Afghan National Army and the fleeing of President Ashraf Ghani.

After the seizure of Kabul by the Taliban, the situation for women’s rights has worsened. The Taliban’s takeover marked the collapse of the Afghan government and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The fall occurred after the withdrawal of US and allied forces, leading to the rapid disintegration of the Afghan National Army. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country after the fall.

In the aftermath, Afghanistan has faced significant challenges. The country is grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with approximately 28.3 million people—two-thirds of the population—in urgent need of assistance.

The Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on women’s rights, significantly reversing the progress made over the past two decades.

Women barred from education, jobs

The Taliban have barred girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, effectively denying them access to secondary and higher education. Women are also prohibited from most forms of emplojyment.

Strict dress codes have been enforced, requiring women to cover their faces in public. Women are also restricted from traveling without a male guardian and are banned from entering parks, gyms, and other public spaces.