Afghanistan women’s cricket captain Nahida Sapan has declared an exhibition match in Melbourne on Thursday will be used as a statement to the Taliban that women will not be denied the chance to be educated and play sport.
Dubbed “an Afghanistan women’s XI”, the refugee side will have its first match in three years when it faces a team assembled by Cricket Without Borders in a charity clash at the Junction Oval.
Firoza Amiri and Nahida Sapan will play for the Afghanistan XI in a match against the Cricket Without Borders XI Melbourne’s Junction Oval on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images for Cricket Australia
The team has not taken to the field since the players fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021. They have been based in Melbourne and Canberra, making it difficult to even train together.
The Taliban’s institutionalised system of sex and gender discrimination and oppression means since 2021 women cannot play international sport, but the men’s cricket team is free to continue playing, and will face Australia in next month’s Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.
Sapan, speaking at the Junction Oval, said the charity match would send a message to the Taliban that women will continue to fight for equal opportunity.
“It’s really special for us, especially for Afghan women because this is a very historic moment for Afghan women. We can show, when we play on this ground, we play for Afghanistan,” Sapan said.
“This is a win for Afghan women because we have a big hope for this match – this match can open doors for Afghan women for education, sport and the future.
“Together, we are building not just a team, but a moment for change and progress. It’s very special.”
There have been attempts by various groups to reunite the Afghanistan players and allow them to play, but this has been hindered by the International Cricket Council regulations that only the Afghanistan Cricket Board can organise a team.
Sapan’s teammate, Firoza Amiri, who has also been playing suburban cricket in Australia, said the magnitude of Thursday’s match could not be underestimated.
Sapan and Amiri speak to the media on Monday ahead of Thursday’s game.Credit: Getty Images for Cricket Australia
“To get back together after three years, leaving everything, and losing everything back home in Afghanistan, to come together again, it’s going to be very exciting for all of us to play together,” Amiri said.
Tim Watts, the federal assistant minister for foreign affairs, said the Australian government would continue to “speak out in favour of the human rights of women and girls” in Afghanistan, having committed $174 million in humanitarian assistance.
“The Afghan women’s cricket team is a powerful symbol of courage and resilience in the face of extraordinary adversity,” Watts said.
“We know that in Afghanistan the Taliban has shown its contempt for the fundamental freedoms and human rights of women and girls. It’s done this through a sustained and systemic campaign to oppress the rights of women and girls, including by denying girls the basic rights to education and seeking to erase women from public life in Afghanistan, including from the world’s sporting fields.
Nick Hockley explains Cricket Australia’s position on playing games against Afghanistan.Credit: Getty Images for Cricket Australia
“I am really pleased that in Australia these women have the chance to play the game that they really love. From the Australia government’s perspective, we will not allow the current situation in Afghanistan to become the new normal. We will continue to speak out.”
While Cricket Australia has said it will not play bilateral cricket against the Afghanistan men’s team, it has faced claims of hypocrisy from former ICC chair Greg Barclay over the fact it still plays them in world events, including in the world cups and next month’s Champions Trophy.
Nick Hockley, the outgoing CA chief executive, said on Monday that Australia would not boycott their clash with Afghanistan. Likewise, England captain Jos Buttler has defended his board’s decision to also go ahead and face Afghanistan at the event in spite of calls from the England government to skip the match.
“We are duty bound under the terms of arrangements for ICC events to play all of our scheduled fixtures. Again, it goes back to what can we do that is within our control,” Hockley said.
Australia’s assistant minister for foreign affairs Tim Watts throws his support behind Thursday’s game.Credit: Getty Images for Cricket Australia
“We have been clear and consistent. We have, obviously, played Afghanistan in other ICC events. You have to draw a line somewhere. I think we have made our stance pretty clear.”
Hockley insisted CA had taken a leadership role in defending women’s rights. He said the charity match, with plans for it to be held annually, would lead to “conversations” about women’s rights in Afghanistan.
“This match shines a light on the fact that in places around the world not every woman or girl has a chance to play. We are really proud of the leadership position that Australian cricket has taken through equality in sport,” Hockley said.
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