Banned, ignored and still in exile: The story of the Afghanistan women's cricket team who fled for safety

It has been over three years since the Afghanistan women's team have been banned from playing cricket.

When the Taliban regained control in August 2021, they barred women from universities, parks, sports and raided the homes of female athletes, some of whom were forced to burn their kits to avoid being identified.

The women's cricket team fled the country, seeking refuge in Pakistan before they were granted emergency visas for Australia, where most of them currently reside.

• Afghanistan women's cricket team on being let down by international community

Under Taliban rule, payments to the women's side were cut off and the team has received no contact from the International Cricket Council (ICC) or Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) despite multiple attempts.

Three years later, their situation remains the same.

More recently, and perhaps most frighteningly, the Taliban introduced a new law which prohibits women from speaking in public and states they must not be heard singing or reading aloud, even from inside their homes.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The Taliban’s Minister of Virtue, Khalid Hanafi, also declared it forbidden for women to hear other women’s voices.

The ban comes just months after the Taliban ordered women to cover their entire bodies, including their faces, when they leave the house.

Women who defy the new rules will be arrested, sent to prison or stoned in public, the Taliban stated.

It is the latest blow in the unprecedented devastation Afghanistan women continue to face.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has called on the ICC to stop ignoring the Afghanistan women's team and provide them with support.

"The Afghan women's cricket team are emblematic of the women of Afghanistan and the international cricketing community owes these trailblazing athletes their support, to send a clear message about the consensus of international outrage over their appalling treatment," Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International's head of economic and social justice, said.

"It has been a full three years since the Taliban returned to power and set about an aggressive programme of dismantling women's rights and freedoms.

"It's horrendous that the cricket team had to flee for their safety, but it's also extremely concerning that Afghan women cricketers feel so let down by the ICC and the international cricketing community.

"Having rightly pledged to uphold anti-discrimination values, the ICC needs to stop ignoring Afghanistan's brave women's team and set about providing them with proper recognition and support."

It's not the first time an appeal like this has been made from a human rights institution.

Human Rights Watch called the situation "a form of gender apartheid" in 2023.

'A profound sadness remains'

In November 2021, ICC chair Greg Barclay said the board was "committed" to supporting Afghanistan "to develop both men's and women's cricket".

In July this year, the Afghanistan women's team wrote a letter to Barclay to help them form a refugee team based in Australia.

"We, the formerly-contracted players of the Afghanistan women's team, are proud and excited by the achievements of Afghanistan at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup and wish to congratulate Rashid Khan and his team on reaching the semi-finals," the letter stated.

"A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.

"We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia.

"Through this team we aim to represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan.

"Creating a team of Afghan refugees can give us a chance to play, coach and administer a cricket team without borders.

"The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.

"[...] We want to recruit and train girls and women who love cricket, to show the world the talent of Afghan women and to demonstrate the great victories they can achieve if given a chance."

Despite their impassioned plea, the team did not hear back from the cricket chiefs.

There also remains an inherent sense of injustice with the men's team still being allowed to compete despite a clear violation of the ICC rules, which states having a national women's team is one of the main requirements for becoming a full member.

The Afghanistan men's team have also retained their Test status and made considerable progress in recent times, beating Australia during the T20 World Cup earlier this year to reach their first ever semi-final. The year before, they also won four out of nine matches at the 50-over World Cup in India, including notable victories against England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The ICC and the ACB did not respond to Sky Sports' request for a comment.

Has anyone spoken up?

In January 2023, Australia withdrew from a men's one-day series against Afghanistan citing the Taliban's decision to impose further restrictions on women's and girls' education.

The ACB described the decision as "unfair" and "pathetic" with spinner Rashid Khan saying he was considering his future in Australia's franchise tournament, Big Bash League.

Rashid was initially included in the team for the Adelaide Strikers after making a U-turn on his boycott threat but later withdrew due to a back injury.

Earlier this year, Australia called off a T20 series against Afghanistan stating a deteriorating human rights situation for women and girls in the Taliban-ruled country.

The Australia Cricket Board were unable to provide a separate comment on this occasion but re-shared their statement they made in March.

"The government's advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse," the board wrote.

"For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan."

Afghanistan's board responded by expressing their disappointment and reiterating their stance on "neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe."

When the England women's team signed off their summer unbeaten, head coach Jon Lewis emphasised the importance of growing the game globally and when questioned on Afghanistan, he expressed his support for the women's team.

"I think they should play. Everyone deserves the right to represent their country in any sport that they choose to," Lewis said.

"The fact that they are being denied that, from my point of view, I don't believe that's the right decision."

Earlier this year, England all-rounder Charlie Dean also voiced her support for human rights.

The England Cricket Board were unable to comment.

'Free Afghan Women'

During the 2024 Olympics, breakdancer Manizha Talash unveiled a 'Free Afghan Women' message during her performance in Paris and was disqualified.

The World DanceSport Federation said Talash, 21, was thrown out for "displaying a political slogan on her attire", which is strictly banned under International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.

Talash, who is originally from Kabul but lives in Spain, was one of 37 athletes competing for the refugee team at the Olympics.

She fled Afghanistan with her 12-year-old brother when the Taliban's arrival forced her breakdancing club to close and continues to call for attention on the human rights abuses women face in her country.

This is not the first time women have been banned from sport.

In 1921, The Football Association (FA) banned women from playing, prohibiting them from using any professional grounds and pitches of clubs affiliated to them.

"The game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged," the FA said at the time.

The ban was lifted in 1971 and almost 50 years later the Lionesses famously went on to win the European Championships in 2022.

The Lionesses' story is one of hope and inspiration but it also begs the question of how far the women's game would be without the ban.

The drastic erosion of women's rights in Afghanistan means their future in the cricketing world remains tentative and, if there is a time they are allowed to play again, we will be asking the same question.

A member of the Afghanistan women's cricket team was part of an informational interview for this article. On her bedroom wall there is a medal she received from her first ever victory in a cricket match in Australia.

She smiles and speaks fondly of those memories.

While the Taliban continues to take control of every aspect of women's lives, they cannot stop sport from doing what it does best - bringing people together.

Some of the information in this article was obtained by sources who wished to remain anonymous for their own safety and security.