ICC announce support fund for exiled Afghan women's players

Afghanistan's exiled women cricketers have received a major boost with the game's global governing body announcing a fund and taskforce to support them.

Afghanistan had 25 contracted women cricketers in 2020, most of whom have resettled in Canberra and Melbourne with humanitarian visas due to human rights restrictions at home under Taliban rule.

The International Cricket Council said after its board meeting in Harare on Sunday that it had joined with the cricket boards of India, England and Australia to sustain their careers.

"As part of the initiative, the ICC will establish a dedicated fund to provide direct monetary assistance, ensuring these cricketers have the resources they need to continue pursuing the game they love," they said in a statement.

"This will be complemented by a robust high-performance program offering advanced coaching, world-class facilities, and tailored mentorship to help them reach their full potential."

Australia and England have opted not to play bilateral cricket with Afghanistan over the deterioration of human rights for women and girls in the country since the Taliban seized control in 2021 and play them only in ICC events like World Cups and the Champions Trophy.

In January, during the day-night women's Ashes Test, Afghanistan's exiled women's players finally had a chance to play together in an exhibition T20 match against a Cricket Without Borders XI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.

They had previously expressed their desire to play together as an Afghanistan team to the ICC last year. 

There are 22 Afghanistan players that were contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board prior to September 2021 who have joined local clubs in Melbourne and Canberra since they fled to Australia. The nine based in the nation's capital have also trained together weekly under the guidance of ACT Meteors player Chelsea Moscript.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said he was delighted the players, as well as those based overseas, would now receive strong support from the ICC.

"We hope this will help enable the Afghanistan women achieve their goal of improving their cricket and playing at the highest possible level," he said.

"We are grateful for the role of all those in the Australian Cricket have played in the resettlement of the Afghanistan women in Australia and in providing playing opportunities."

ICC chairman Jay Shah added: "We are deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances."