Afghanistan Women Cricketers reunited, find how they take a step forward
Xtra Time Web Desk: Afghanistan's women cricketers reunited to play their first match on Thursday since fleeing the Taliban three years ago, introducing"a movement for change".
Back in August, 2021; when Taliban took control of Afghanistan, thousands of female athletes fled from their own country. Most of the national women's cricket side settled as refugees in Australia back then, where they reunited for the first time on Thursday to play a charity match in Melbourne.
"Together, we're building not just a team, we're building a movement for change and promise," Sapan said in the run-up to the game.
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"We have big hopes for this match because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and in the future."
The Taliban government then banned women's cricket. Talking about that, Cricketer Firooza Amiri stated after match, "We have sacrificed a lot to be here today".
"The situation in Afghanistan is very terrible. Women don't have their rights."
"I can live freely in Australia and live my life the way I want."
"But back home in Afghanistan... I can only say it is very heartbreaking and very hard to live in that situation."
Diana Barakzai, who helped found Afghanistan's first women's cricket programme almost 20 years ago stated, "I'm sure it's a big message for the world, that the world will do something for Afghan women," she told AFP.
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"Especially for opening the school doors, opening up work for women."
Lobbying for the governing International Cricket Council in the hopes of forming a refugee team with some kind of official status, some players stated "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. Considering human rights concerns, Australia has in recent years boycotted a series of non-tournament fixtures against the Afghanistan men's side.
