Follow UsThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will be supporting the International Cricket Council (ICC) in its effort to support the exiled Afghan women cricketers. As per reports in ESPNCricinfo, no money from the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) annual disbursement will be used in this initiative.
Notably, the ACB is the only full member board that doesn’t field a women’s team because of the inhumane restrictions placed on Afghan women by the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
The ICC’s latest attempt is to strengthen further and accelerate the efforts by non-profit organisations like Cricket Beyond Borders in Australia for the immigrant Afghan women cricketers. While this initiative will not create an Afghanistan women’s team, it is aimed at providing access to the game to Afghan female cricketers and also helping them with funding for their education and rehabilitation.
Right now, there are 19 Afghan women cricketers in Australia, but the initiative will not be limited to them. The plan is to include all displaced women cricketers from the war-torn country. It’s noteworthy that ACB had contracted 25 women players before the Taliban takeover, and some of them also live in the United Kingdom and Canada.
The organisation Pitch Our Future, which was set up for the 19 Afghan women cricketers in Australia, will help the ICC with all the details they need on the ground. The players can also get accredited by the ICC so that they can avail themselves of the benefits.
Pitch Our Future also recently organised a game between Afghan Women’s XI and Cricket Beyond Borders charity on January 30 in Melbourne, which received considerable international attention.
CA has already helped the Afghan women in many ways. Now, along with the BCCI, and ECB (the three earn more than 51% of ICC annual revenue), the efforts will be further accelerated and focused.