The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a landmark step towards restoring the international aspirations of Afghan refugee women cricketers by setting a target for the team to enter ICC qualification pathways by 2030. The decision, ratified at the ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh, marks the first time the global governing body has outlined a clear timeline for the team’s potential participation in ICC qualification events. Although the players will not compete as Afghanistan due to the lack of support from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the move reflects the ICC’s long-term commitment to providing displaced athletes with a pathway back to elite cricket.
ICC Unveils Five-Year Roadmap for Afghan Refugee Women’s cricket team
To oversee the programme, the ICC has reconstituted its Special Task Force (STF), expanding it to include ICC Independent Director Ros Rivaz, ICC Chief Executives’ Committee member Sarah Keane, and representatives from the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The Task Force has been entrusted with guiding the team’s development while preparing them for participation in international qualification events over the next five years.
“The Task Force has been entrusted with developing a clear and sustainable roadmap that supports the continued development of Afghan refugee women cricketers through structured coaching, meaningful competitive opportunities and appropriate high-performance pathways,” Rivaz said.
The ICC-backed programme, launched earlier this year, will continue to provide professional coaching, strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, and progressively stronger competitive opportunities. Players based in Australia, England and Canada will remain part of their domestic cricket systems while periodically assembling for overseas training camps and tours.
The announcement follows recent initiatives, including the ECB-hosted tour for the Afghanistan Refugee Women’s Team, which featured T20 matches and elite training programmes delivered alongside the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the MCC Foundation. Earlier, the team also played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval before the Women’s Ashes Test in January 2025.
Players Inspired by Clear Pathway Towards International Cricket
The programme traces its origins to the displacement of Afghanistan’s women cricketers after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, effectively ending the country’s women’s cricket programme before it had the chance to play an official international match. Many of those players have since rebuilt their lives overseas while continuing to pursue cricket through the ICC’s support system.
Nahida Sapan welcomed the ICC’s long-term commitment, saying the initiative has not only allowed the players to continue their cricketing journeys but also reunited them as a team. Fellow player Firooza Afghan added that tours to India and England had strengthened the squad’s belief that an international future remains within reach, while the 2030 qualification target provides a clear objective to work towards.
Former Australia cricketer Mel Jones, whose organization It’s Game On has played a vital role in relocating and supporting many of the players, described the ICC’s roadmap as an important commitment to the team’s future. She said the initiative sends a powerful message that talent and determination deserve opportunity, adding that the remarkable progress made by the players over the past year leaves every reason to believe they can achieve something special by 2030.
