When India face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Womenโs World Cup 2025 at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Guwahati, the spotlight will not only be on the action on the field but also on a special group of spectators.
A number of Afghanistanโs women cricketers, who currently live in exile in Australia, will be present at the venue. While they are not officially recognized by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), they continue to participate in local leagues in Australia. For this occasion, they will attend only as spectators, marking one of the first steps to bring them closer to the global cricket community.
ACA Confirms Their Arrival
ACA President Taranga Gogoi confirmed the development, noting that more details would be provided by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
โ๐ป๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐,โ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐บ๐ท๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Although no official ICC announcement has been made, the plan is believed to be part of a larger initiative introduced earlier this year.
ICCโs Quiet Support for Womenโs Cricket in Afghanistan
In April, the ICC had announced a โdedicated task forceโ aimed at supporting Afghanistanโs female cricketers, focusing on mentorship and coaching. Funding was to come from the ICC and major cricket boards including the BCCI, ECB, and CA, although exact contributions were not disclosed.
The decision to bring exiled Afghan women to the World Cup was first discussed at the ICCโs annual conference in July. Initially, the idea included a training camp in Bengaluru, matches against Indian domestic sides, and attendance at several World Cup games. However, as things stand, the players may only be part of the opening fixture.
โ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ช๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ .
Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, Afghan women have faced widespread restrictions, being barred from schools, universities, and most public activities. Although the ACB had contracted 25 womenโs players in 2020, it cannot officially recognize a national womenโs team under the current circumstances.
Exiled Players Continue Their Journey
Most of the former Afghanistan womenโs players now reside in Australia, while a few are based in the UK and Canada. Some players could not make the trip to India due to visa complications, but many were part of an exhibition game earlier this year, featuring an Afghanistan XI against Cricket Without Borders.
Their presence at the Womenโs World Cup opener in Guwahati will mark a symbolic step for Afghan womenโs cricket, showing resilience and hope despite the challenges they continue to face.
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