logo
'With this, we can hope' - Afghan cricketers play first match

'With this, we can hope' - Afghan cricketers play first match

Yahoo30-01-2025

Female cricketers from Afghanistan hope their first competitive match in Australia will "open doors for Afghan women for education, sport and future".
An Afghanistan Women's XI played a 20-over exhibition match against Cricket Without Borders at Melbourne's Junction Oval on Thursday, before the Women's Ashes Test between Australia and England at the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground.
More than 20 members of the Afghanistan national team have been in Australia since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, as female participation in sport in the country has effectively been outlawed.
But they are now hoping to send a message of hope and positivity to their country.
"We are going to represent millions of Afghan women who are in Afghanistan and denied their rights," player Firoza Amiri told Cricket Australia before the match.
"It's very special for all of us to get back together after three years, leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan."
In 2020, 25 players were given professional contracts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board but after the Taliban returned and they could no longer play or train safely, they had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for permission to play as a refugee team, but this was denied.
For the exhibition match, the side could not play under the name of Afghanistan women because they are not recognised as a national team by the ICC and they had to wear a custom-made kit as opposed to the official logo.
Benafsha Hashimi, one of the Afghan players, designed the logo which depicted a red tulip and a golden wattle - the national flowers of Australia and Afghanistan - entwined around a cricket ball.
'The ICC did nothing for us' - Afghan cricketer Amiri
Knight wants ICC to help 'forgotten' Afghanistan
There are two sets of players in Australia, based in Melbourne and Canberra, and the match saw them unite for the first time since their arrival.
Many of the players did not speak English when they arrived but had to learn it to help them settle and apply for jobs.
Player Nahida Sapan says that the players are always playing for more than just themselves.
"We play for Afghanistan, it means a lot for Afghan women because with this, they can and we can hope," Sapan told Cricket Australia.
"This match can open doors for Afghan women for education, sport and future.
"We are building not just a team, we are building a movement for change and improvement."
An ICC working group, set up after the Taliban takeover in 2021, has met with representatives of the Afghanistan government and is keen to use its position and the sport of cricket to influence change in the country.
"The ICC remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan and continues to collaborate with our members," it said in a statement.
The governing body added it was their intention to "support the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan".
Its stance is that the ACB is not in control of government policy and therefore players should not be punished for it.
There have been calls for teams to boycott fixtures against Afghanistan men's team, who England are due to meet in next month's Champions Trophy.
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi said England's players should use their "power" to "make a difference". However, captain Jos Buttler said "I don't think a boycott is the way to go about it".
Get cricket news sent straight to your phone

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Florian Wirtz's Liverpool debut is SET
Florian Wirtz's Liverpool debut is SET

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Florian Wirtz's Liverpool debut is SET

Florian Wirtz's Liverpool debut is reportedly set. That's according to reports out of Germany. The Florian Wirtz saga continues. Liverpool hope to complete a deal for the German playmaker before long - we're all praying it's set in stone this week. Shop the LFC Store The new LFC x Air Max range 🔥 Nike x Air Max LFC x Nike Air Max Advertisement Buy Now LFC Retro Shirts LFC Retro Shirts Buy Now Home Jersey LFC Kits Buy Now LFC Nike Training LFC Nike Training Buy Now The Reds are surprise frontrunners for Wirtz, who was widely expected to join Bayern Munich. If not the German champions, Manchester City were thought to be the next in line. And yet it's Liverpool who look certain to sign him. They're deep in negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen over what would be a new club record fee. The fee would break the German transfer record, too, and there's a chance the English one goes with it. It would be the first time since 1995 that Liverpool did that. But a deal still isn't done. Though, signs from Germany are certainly positive. Liverpool set Florian Wirtz debut Bild reports that Liverpool plan to debut Florian Wirtz against Preston North End in their pre-season friendly on July 13th. Advertisement The report here doesn't mess about, either - they're reporting this as fact. A deal will happen and Wirtz is making his debut on that date. He'll link up with the club for pre-season training on July 7th and go from there. Again, they're saying this is all certain. The claim is on the back of an expected new offer of over €140m. That's awfully close to the €150m asking price and the suggestion here is that Leverkusen will accept. Hopefully, then, this one doesn't have too much further to run. It's been more drawn out than many anticipated, with Leverkusen sticking rigidly to their asking price. Liverpool have attempted to talk them down from it - though, they haven't succeeded there as much as they'd have hoped. But we're crossing our fingers tightly that the Reds are about to secure one of the world's most talented players.

🇦🇷 "Leo will start": Scaloni confirms Messi in the line-up
🇦🇷 "Leo will start": Scaloni confirms Messi in the line-up

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

🇦🇷 "Leo will start": Scaloni confirms Messi in the line-up

With their ticket to the 2026 World Cup already secured, Argentina wants to keep building momentum ahead of the global tournament. And tomorrow, Tuesday's match against Colombia is an opportunity to do just that. A match in which Leo Messi will be in the starting lineup. "Tomorrow Leo will start. We hope the fans enjoy him and the team,' said Lionel Scaloni emphatically in the pre-match press conference. The Argentine coach wants to keep building momentum ahead of the event in North America. And he still doesn't have a fixed squad list. Advertisement "There's no point in thinking about the squad list a year before the World Cup. Nothing is ruled out, because there could be many surprises. I think the best thing is to wait until the end and decide then," commented the man from Pujato. With the starting eleven for tomorrow almost confirmed, there's only one doubt: who will take the left-back position? Scaloni is clear about it. "It's between Facu Medina and Valentín Barco. Based on the work these two players have done, it will be between them." This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Marcelo Endelli - 2025 Getty Images

European women's champion Arsenal to use 60,000-seat stadium for all domestic league home games
European women's champion Arsenal to use 60,000-seat stadium for all domestic league home games

Fox Sports

time2 hours ago

  • Fox Sports

European women's champion Arsenal to use 60,000-seat stadium for all domestic league home games

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Women's Champions League winner Arsenal pledged on Tuesday to use the club's 60,000-seat main stadium for all home games in the domestic league next season. Arsenal played nine of 11 home games in the Women's Super League at Emirates Stadium this season, with almost 57,000 fans watching a 5-0 win over Tottenham. The other two games were at nearby Borehamwood which can hold about 4,000 fans. 'Found a place where we belong,' Arsenal said in a social media post. The two extra domestic league games at the Emirates will be balanced by fewer games there in the opening stages of the Champions League, which have attracted fewer than 10,000 fans. Arsenal finished runner-up to Chelsea in the English league before beating heavily favored Barcelona to become champion of Europe. The home game against Chelsea drew more than 45,000 fans, and more than 46,000 came to the season-ending game against Manchester United. Arsenal said in a statement it will use Borehamwood in the opening phase of the Champions League, which switches to an 18-team single standings league next season, then return to north London for the knockout rounds. Domestic cup games also will stay at the smaller venue. ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store