Firooza Amiri and her teammates will take the field in Australia to represent millions of Afghan women who are denied basic rights. After more than three years, the Afghanistan Women’s XI will reunite for an exhibition match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.
The match will bring together 21 former Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) players who lost their contracts when the Taliban took over in August 2021. Since then they have been in Canberra and Melbourne playing club cricket.
A Special Reunion
Amiri and team captain Nahida Sapan expressed deep gratitude to the Australian government and Cricket Australia for supporting them.
“It’s very special for all of us to get back together after three years, leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan and coming together again,” Amiri said this week.
“I also want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who supports us. Your support means the world to us,” Sapan said.
From Fear to Hope
Sapan and many of her teammates fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. She revealed that her family received death threats, warning, “If we find you, we will not let you live.”
Amiri also had to escape with her family. They first reached Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia, where they could start anew.
Cricket Australia’s Support
Cricket Australia (CA) has been a strong supporter of Afghan women’s cricket. Praising the team, CEO Nick Hockley said, “To see their playing shirts for the first time with their names and numbers on the back, you can see how much it means to them. I’m just inspired by their resilience, their love for the game.”
CA plans to continue advocating for Afghan women in cricket at a global level. Hockley hopes this match will create discussions that lead to real change.
Read more: Jake Paul vs Logan Paul Fight on March 27: Sources
A Bigger Fight than Cricket
Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). This status should require them to have a women’s team, but the Taliban’s laws ban women from playing sports, studying and even receiving medical training.
Countries like England and Australia refuse to play bilateral series against Afghanistan in protest. However, they still face the men’s team in ICC tournaments.
England captain Jos Buttler recently said his team should not boycott Afghanistan at the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Meanwhile, South Africa’s sports minister has urged the Proteas to take a stand by refusing to play against Afghanistan.
Hockley explained why Australia plays against Afghanistan in ICC tournaments but not in bilateral series. “We’re really trying to do everything we can in our power to make a difference,” Hockley said. “We’ve played Afghanistan in other ICC events. You have to draw a line somewhere and I think we’ve made our stance pretty clear.”
A Message of Hope
Afghanistan’s star cricketers, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, have shown support for women’s education. They have used their platforms to speak out against the Taliban’s harsh restrictions.
Hockley hopes Thursday’s match will become an annual event. “You need moments like this to prompt real change. The first piece is awareness,” he said. “Hopefully this game just raises awareness. I think it’s a real beacon of hope.”
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.