Afghanistan鈥檚 displaced female cricketers will tour England next month, a landmark moment on a to rebuild their careers and remain part of the game following their from sports after the Taliban鈥檚 return to power.
The Afghanistan Refugee team will contain players who had been contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board and left the country after being 鈥渟ystematically excluded from sport and public life鈥� by the , the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday in announcing the tour.
It will begin on June 22 and include Twenty20 matches as well as opportunities to train and also attend the Women鈥檚 T20 World Cup final at Lord鈥檚 on July 5.
The ECB said the tour 鈥渃arries significant cultural and sporting importance.鈥�
鈥淭his tour represents not only an opportunity for them to compete as a team,鈥� the English governing body said, 鈥渂ut a moment for cricket in this country to stand for inclusion and the protection of women鈥檚 participation in sport.鈥�
Most of the Afghan players resettled in Australia, where they continued playing in domestic competitions but without access to international cricket, despite International Cricket Council regulations requiring all test-playing members to support men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 national teams.
The women have repeatedly as a refugee team.
Their reintegration to cricket has been supported by a consultancy firm 鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 Game On” 鈥� co-founded by former Australia international Mel Jones.
鈥淭hese players have shown extraordinary courage and commitment to the game, despite everything that has been taken from them,鈥� Jones said in the ECB statement.
鈥淭hey deserve more opportunities like this; they deserve to be recognized as part of the global cricket community.鈥�
Jones called for more plans for 鈥渟ustained and meaningful action beyond this year.鈥�
Clare Connor, the ECB deputy chief executive, said cricket had 鈥渁 responsibility to stand for inclusion and opportunity.鈥�
鈥淲e are proud to be hosting this tour,鈥� Connor said, 鈥渁nd supporting the players in deepening their connection to the game.鈥�
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