The ICC announced on Sunday that the Afghanistan government respects the constitution of the international organization and has “in principle” agreed to bringing women’s cricket to the country.
Source: NDTV
Afghanistan cricket, and notably the women’s game, was in a state of uncertainty last year as a result of the enormous political changes that occurred after the Taliban took control of the nation.
This came as great news for the sport in Afghanistan, which has been in a state of flux in recent years. The Taliban’s takeover of the country last year led to a drastic change in the political landscape, which in turn had a knock-on effect on cricket. However, it now looks like things are getting back on track, with the government supporting the ICC’s constitution and agreeing to bringing women’s cricket. This is a huge boost for the sport in Afghanistan and will no doubt be welcomed by fans and players alike.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) set up a working group to review the status of cricket in Afghanistan. The group met with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Afghanistan government to discuss the way forward for the sport in the country.
The Taliban’s restrictions on women’s sports participation meant that the Afghan national women’s cricket team was in jeopardy. However, the ICC’s Working Group has since assessed the state of cricket in the nation and determined that the Afghan government supports bringing women’s cricket. This is a significant development, as it means that Afghan women will once again be able to compete on the international stage.
A report on a recent meeting in Doha between a representative of the Afghan government and the Afghanistan Cricket Board was given to the Board by the Afghanistan Working Group.
“The meeting was positive and respectful, and the government representative was clear in his support for the ICC constitution, including in bringing women’s cricket to Afghanistan,” Working Group Chair Imran Khwaja said.
“There are obviously challenges for it to resume, but we will continue to work with the ACB to take this forward. The Working Group will closely monitor the commitment undertaken by the Afghanistan government and will continue to report back to the ICC Board,” he added.
The existence of a national women’s team in addition to the men’s team is a condition of the ICC for full members. Afghanistan is one of the full members of the ICC.
Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team
The Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team was first formed in 2010. The team competed in a six-team tournament in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 2012 and won. The team had been scheduled to participate in the 2011 ACC Women’s T20
Championship in Kuwait, despite never having played representative cricket in ICC competition. Due to opposition to women’s sports in Afghanistan, the team was forced to withdraw from the competition. In 2014, the team was dismantled.
In an effort to create a national team that would compete in ICC competitions, the Afghanistan Cricket Board awarded central contracts to 25 players in November 2020. The players who were chosen from the talent pool attended skills and fitness camp, a national team trial camp, and other events in October 2020 at the Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground.
All full-member women’s sides received permanent Test and One Day International (ODI) status from the ICC in April 2021.
Following the 2021 Taliban onslaught and the 15 August 2021 Fall of Kabul, concerns were raised about the safety of Afghan women cricketers and the growth of women’s cricket in Afghanistan. Taliban members to assassinate team members if they try to play cricket again.
Read Also: Jhulan Goswami bids adieu to the game of cricket
A Bright Future for Afghan Women Cricketers
This is great news for the sport of cricket as well as for the empowerment of women in Afghanistan. For too long, women in this country have been denied the opportunity to participate in many aspects of public life, including sports.
The return of the Afghan bringing women’s cricket team is a sign of progress in the country. It shows that women are slowly gaining more rights and opportunities. We hope that this trend continues and that Afghan women can soon enjoy the same rights and opportunities as their male counterparts. For too long, women have been oppressed and denied basic rights and opportunities. Cricket can help change that by empowering women and giving them a platform to showcase their talents.
So far, the response to the resurgence of women’s cricket in Afghanistan has been positive. There is still a long way to go, but the future looks bright for Afghanistan’s female cricketers.
