Afghanistan's exiled women's cricketers to tour India during Women's ODI World Cup and play against domestic teams
Women in Afghanistan have been banned from sports since the Taliban regained control four years ago; exiled Afghanistan women's cricketers in Australia played a Cricket Without Borders XI in their first match since 2021 in Melbourne in January
Tuesday 16 September 2025 11:21, UK
The Afghanistan women's cricket team will tour India in October and play matches against domestic sides while the Women's ODI World Cup takes place in the country.
Sky Sports News understands that a group of Afghan women, who are refugees in Australia after being exiled from their country since the Taliban took control in 2021, will make up the team.
Previously, Afghanistan had made a commitment to create a women's team but now girls are banned from sports, education, and employment.
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Women and girls who were part of the cricket set up fled to countries including Australia and have been campaigning for equal rights.
The displaced women are expected to travel to India later this month and face various domestic teams while the women's World cup is taking place.
They will also be invited to watch some of the matches during the tournament.
The ICC are expected to formally announce details later on Tuesday.
In January, Afghanistan's exiled women's cricketers represented their country for the first time since the Taliban reclaimed control four years ago, featuring in an historic exhibition match against a Cricket Without Borders XI in Melbourne.
The players wore blue shirts that were designed specially to feature a logo of a cricket ball and tulip, Afghanistan's national flower. The shirt did not feature the country's flag or its colours.
During a board meeting in July, the ICC discussed the support for displaced women's cricketers from Afghanistan in a recent conference in Singapore.
Women's World Cup 2025: All you need to know
The 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup runs from Tuesday September 30 to Sunday November 2 in India and Sri Lanka.
The two co-hosts meet in the opening match in Guwahati, while the final will take place in either Navi Mumbai or Colombo.
Every game will be shown live on Sky Sports, including England's first fixture against South Africa in Guwahati on Friday October 3 (10.30am first ball).
