Mumbai, January 28: The Afghanistan women's cricket team, comprising refugees living in Australia, will play a T20 match against Cricket Without Borders XI at the Junction Oval here on Thursday, first outing for them on a cricket field since 2021. The cricket team members, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, have been living in Canberra and Melbourne since arriving in Australia. The match will be played ahead of the opening day of the day-night Women's Ashes Test at the MCG between Australia and England. Afghanistan All-Rounder Azmatullah Omarzai Named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024.

“I think this is a first step. I think it's going to be such an exciting day on Thursday, and my hope is that promotes lots of conversations, that this becomes an annual thing and then ultimately, that this team were able to compete on the international stage as is their want,” said Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley during a press meet.

“I don't think any of us can comprehend what they've been through moving to a new country in such difficult circumstances, not speaking the language. I'm just inspired by their resilience, their love for the game and hopefully this game just raises awareness, a real beacon of hope,” he added.

Nahida Sapan, one of the Afghan cricketers, rated the moment as “historic” but wanted more support from the community. Afghanistan Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Announced: Ibrahim Zadran Returns, Sediqullah Atal Included, Mujeeb ur Rahman Misses Out; Hashmatullah Shahidi to Captain Side.

“It's really special for us, especially for Afghan women because this is a very historic moment for all Afghan women. We have a big hopes for this match, because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and future. We don't want this to be our first and last match. We want more matches. We want more support.” she said.

In men's cricket, Australia do not play Afghanistan in bilateral matches but continue to face them in ICC tournaments. The Aussies and the Afghans are placed in the same group for next month's Champions Trophy.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)