Afghan Women Cricketers Press ICC for Clear Answer on
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- Afghan Women's cricket team called on the ICC for a "clear answer" on their future after beating an MCC Foundation XI at Worsley Cricket Ground in High Wycombe — their first win since fleeing Taliban death threats five years ago.
- Batter Firooza Amiri said the uncertainty is "very worrying," asking "where are we going to end up?" while the team now lives and trains in Australia under a touring "Afghan Refugee Women's Team" badge rather than Afghanistan's official crest.
- In April 2025, the ICC joined with the cricket boards of England, Australia and India to fund elite training (two cricket sessions and two strength and conditioning sessions weekly) — but the programme ends after the England tour with no successor plan in place.
- The ICC's annual conference next month will discuss future funding; ECB's Clare Connor said it is "incumbent on the global community" to "develop a sustainable plan for this group of players."
- Afghanistan men's team has retained full ICC membership despite the country failing to meet the requirement of supporting a women's national side — a contrast the exiled players highlighted as unfair.
- Fifa approved the return of the Afghan women's national football team to international competition last month, and the cricketers now hope the ICC will follow suit.
- The squad met King Charles on the eve of the match and will attend the Women's T20 World Cup final at Lord's after completing five matches during their England stay.
Why it matters: With the ICC-backed funding programme expiring at tour's end and the annual conference as the only decision point before then, the Afghan women's cricketers face an existential funding cliff — and the ICC's continued full membership for Afghanistan's men's team, despite the country failing to support a women's side, deepens the credibility gap the players are pressing them to close.
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