Afghanistan’s displaced women cricketers are set to tour England next month, marking a significant milestone in their push to restart international careers after the Taliban’s return to power forced many out of sport and public life. The group will be organised as the Afghanistan Refugee Team, offering players a structured pathway back into competitive cricket.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) says the touring squad will include athletes who previously had contracts with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and later left the country after being “systematically excluded from sport and public life” under Taliban rule. For the players, the tour is intended to be more than a series of matches—it is also a statement about inclusion.
Quick facts
- The Afghanistan Refugee Team will tour England next month after players were pushed out of sports and public life.
- The ECB says the squad includes players previously contracted with the Afghanistan Cricket Board who later left the country.
- The tour starts on June 22.
- It will include Twenty20 matches and training sessions.
- Players will have the chance to attend the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on July 5.
- The ECB calls the tour culturally and sportingly significant.
Competition during the trip will revolve around Twenty20 cricket, with fixtures paired with training sessions designed to help the group stay match-ready. Importantly, the players will also be able to attend the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on July 5, giving them a high-profile moment in the sport’s biggest stages.
Why the ECB views it as bigger than cricket
The ECB described the tour as carrying “significant cultural and sporting importance.” It framed the initiative as an opportunity for the women to compete as a side, while also allowing cricket in England to stand for the inclusion and protection of women’s participation in sport.
Most of the Afghanistan players later made their homes in Australia. There, they continued playing domestic cricket, but they were still unable to represent their side internationally, despite International Cricket Council requirements that full members support both men’s and women’s teams.
The players have repeatedly asked the International Cricket Council to recognise them as a refugee team, seeking a formal framework that would allow them to play international cricket again. The upcoming England tour is a step in that direction, even as the wider call for recognition remains.
Support for the return to cricket has also come through consultancy firm “It’s Game On”, which was co-founded by former Australia batter Mel Jones. In an ECB statement, Jones said the players have shown “extraordinary courage and commitment to the game” despite everything that has been taken from them.
Jones added that the women deserve more opportunities like this and should be recognised as part of the global cricket community. She also urged that the sport move beyond short-term gestures, calling for additional planning for “sustained and meaningful action beyond this year.”
Cricket’s responsibility
ECB deputy chief executive Clare Connor said cricket has “a responsibility to stand for inclusion and opportunity.” Connor also stated that the ECB is proud to host the tour and support the players as they deepen their connection to the game.
With the Afghanistan Refugee Team beginning their England campaign on June 22, the tour is set to offer both competitive cricket and a platform for wider recognition—aimed at keeping women’s cricket open, inclusive, and accessible even amid forced displacement.
