Afghanistan women's national cricket team

History

2010–2014

The team was first formed in 2010, but disbanded in 2014. Although the team never played representative cricket in ICC competition, it had been scheduled to take part in the 2011 ACC Women's Twenty20 Championship in Kuwait, which ran from 17 to 25 February. The team was forced to withdraw from the tournament before travelling to Kuwait due to elements in Afghanistan opposing women's participation in sport.

In 2012, the team participated in a 6 team tournament in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and became Champion by winning four matches and tying one.

2020–August 2021

In November 2020, the Afghanistan Cricket Board awarded central contracts to twenty-five players, in their bid to form a national team to take part in ICC tournaments. In October 2020, ACB organised skills and fitness camp as well as the national team trial camp at the Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground for the players who were selected from the talent pool.

In April 2021, the ICC awarded permanent Test and One Day International (ODI) status to all full member women's teams.

Exile

Concerns regarding the safety of the Afghan women cricketers and development of women's cricket in Afghanistan were raised following the 2021 Taliban offensive and the 15 August 2021 Fall of Kabul.

, three of the Afghan women's cricket team, Roya Samim and her two sisters, were in exile in Canada. Samim said that the team members remaining in Afghanistan were afraid of the Taliban. She stated that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had failed to respond to emails calling for help from team members seeking evacuation from Afghanistan, and that the Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) had given no help except to say "Wait". The ICC said that it was not aware of having received emails asking for help and that it was closely monitoring the situation. According to The Guardian, the ICC was keeping in contact with the ACB in order to avoid acting unilaterally. An ACB spokesperson stated that the Taliban appeared to support the continuation of men's cricket.

One of the team members was threatened by the Taliban after the fall of Kabul with being killed "if [she tried] to play cricket again". Another team member, in exile , stated that the ICC "never help" the women's cricket team, "always disappoint" the team and only communicate with the ACB rather than contacting the women's team directly. Several of the team members expressed their expectations and hopes for the women's team to reorganise.

Hamid Shinwari, chief executive officer of the ACB, stated in early September 2021 that he expected the Afghan women's cricket team "to be stopped". The Taliban also said that Afghan women would be barred from playing sport. However, Afghanistan Cricket Board's chairman Azizullah Fazli clarified later in an Al Jazeera interview that women will be allowed to play cricket and that they would not be stopped.

As of April 2023, most of the squad had re-united in Australia. There has been multiple attempts to form a refugee Afghan women's team.

In January 2025, 21 players who were formerly contracted by the ACB played an exhibition match in Australia, using the team name "Afghan Women's XI".

Tournament history

Head coaches

• [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg|25px]] Diana Barakzai 2010–2014
• [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg|25px]] Tuba Sangar 2014–2021

Captains

• [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg|25px]] Sehama Khan 2010–2014

References

References

1. [https://archive.today/20130124191233/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hggxgX3DXpIIlABoUQtfKyblQkgg?docId=CNG.725519d0a8e414c790293b772e140526.121 First women's cricket team for Afghanistan]
2. (18 April 2018). "Afghan Girls Want A (Cricket) League Of Their Own". Radio Liberty.
3. (15 August 2011). "Afghanistan's Pioneer Women". [[Asian Cricket Council]].
4. "اعتراض تیم ملی کریکت زنان افغانستان".
5. "تیم کرکت دختران افغان، بر سکوی قهرمانی - ورزش - کریکت".
6. "ACB to award central contracts to 25 female cricketers". Afghanistan Cricket Board.
7. (5 November 2020). "ACB shortlists 25 for national women's team". CricBuzz.
8. "Women cricketers defy threats to play for Afghanistan".
9. "Afghanistan Cricket Board urges patience with women's initiatives".
10. (1 April 2021). "The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board and Committee meetings have concluded following a series of virtual conference calls". ICC.
11. "Return of Taliban deals a body blow to Afghanistan cricket and women's football teams".
12. (2021-08-17). "Afghan female athletes told to go into hiding and delete online profiles in fear of Taliban".
13. (18 August 2021). "Afghan women's team expected to be stopped". BBC Sport.
14. (8 September 2021). "Afghan women to be banned from playing sport, Taliban say". The Guardian.
15. (13 October 2021). "Ban? No ban? Afghan cricket chief offers hope to women athletes". Al Jazeera.
16. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/65263457 Afghanistan women's cricket team: In limbo and in exile in Australia], George Wright, BBC Sport, 18 April 2023
17. (2 November 2024). "Banned, ignored and still in exile: The story of the Afghanistan women's cricket team who fled for safety". SkySports.
18. (29 January 2025). "Afghanistan's female cricketers reunite for a match after 3 years in exile due to Taliban ban". AP News.
19. (29 January 2025). "'We are making history': Afghanistan women's cricket team offer hope for future". The Guardian.
20. "Afghan women's cricket crushed by threats and tradition {{!}} The National".
21. (2021-08-31). "Afghanistan women's cricketers left feeling abandoned by authorities". [[The Guardian]].
22. (2021-09-02). "Afghanistan women's cricket team: Players hiding in Kabul fear Taliban rule". [[BBC News]].