Afghanistan’s refugee women’s cricket team is set to tour England this summer, marking a significant moment for players displaced by the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The squad, many of whom resettled in Australia after fleeing the sweeping gender discrimination and ban on women’s sport, will play a series of games.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has extended the invitation, partnering with MCC to provide high-quality training facilities for the team’s preparations. The players will also be guests at the T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on July 5.
Clare Connor, deputy CEO at the ECB and managing director of England Women, highlighted the team’s resilience.
“Since being displaced from Afghanistan in 2021, these players have shown extraordinary resilience in continuing their cricket journeys, in incredibly challenging circumstances,” she said.
“Cricket has a responsibility to stand for inclusion and opportunity, and we are proud to be hosting this tour and supporting the players in deepening their connection to the game.”
Mel Jones, the former Australian cricketer and advocate instrumental in relocating the refugee team, described the tour as “a major step forward, but also highlights how much work remains.”
Jones added: “These players have shown extraordinary courage and commitment to the game, despite everything that has been taken from them. They deserve more opportunities like this; they deserve to be recognised as part of the global cricket community. Moments like this matter, but we need to see plans for sustained and meaningful action beyond this year.”
The tour takes place amidst ongoing scrutiny of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which continues to allow Afghanistan’s men’s team to participate in tournaments despite the absence of a representative women’s team violating membership rules.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould wrote to the ICC in January 2025, urging unified action against “the worst violation of women’s rights anywhere on earth.”
While England continues to play Afghanistan in World Cups, they are not currently scheduling any bilateral cricket with the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
