Afghanistan Women’s first match a ‘beacon of hope’ and a sign of good things to come, says Cricket Australia.
Afghanistan women’s match a first step towards better things in the future.
According to Nick Hockley, Thursday’s exhibition match in Melbourne with an Afghanistan Women’s XI is a “real beacon of hope” that should start discussions around the world and is the first minor step towards playing international cricket.
Ahead of the opening day of the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG, which begins in the afternoon, an Afghanistan women’s cricket team, which is made up of refugees who currently reside in Australia, will play a Twenty20 match against a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on Thursday morning.
With half of the group relocating to Canberra and the other half to Melbourne, this is the first time they have been able to unite as a group since fleeing their nation after the Taliban took power.
At the Junction Oval on Monday, Hockley met with Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri, two members of the Afghanistan XI, after Sapan was named the game’s captain. Australia’s Federal Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts, Director Ken Jacobs, and Cricket Without Borders Chair Clare Cannon were also in attendance. The match was organised in collaboration with the Australian government, CA, and Cricket Without Borders.
After captain Heather Knight met with the exiled Afghanistan women’s players in Melbourne earlier this month, Hockley expressed optimism that this game would be the first of many future playing opportunities for the Afghanistan women and said the England and Wales Cricket Board was eager to support their cause.
“I think this is a first step,” Hockley said. “We’ve got colleagues from the ECB coming out for the women’s Ashes, and there are conversations happening to support from England as well as from Australia. So I think the first piece is awareness. But 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.
“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.
“I was privy to a moment where they got to see their playing shirts for the first time with their names and numbers on the back, and you can just see how much it means to them. So I really hope this is kind of the first step of a really successful journey for this group, but also that this match shines a light on the fact that in places around the world not every woman and girl has a chance to play.”