LONDON: International Cricket Council (ICC) will discuss Afghanistan’s international status in its upcoming meeting amid the ongoing exile of the country’s women’s cricket team, reported BBC on Thursday. 

According to the news report, Afghanistan women’s side escaped the country after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. They fled to Pakistan before most of them were issued emergency visas to Australia.

As a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Afghanistan ought to have a women’s side in place. The ICC board meeting, taking place on Monday in Dubai, will discuss the matter.

The report suggests that members of the Afghanistan women’s team say they have still had no contact from the sport’s leaders, despite previous appeals for support.

“They wrote to the ICC in December but the global governing body have said it is an issue for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB),” it claimed.

The report added that the women’s players were hoping the ICC would take action to enable them to represent Afghanistan from their base in Australia.

It may be noted here that Afghanistan became a full ICC member in 2017, which comes with an obligation to develop a national women’s team.

However, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) awarded the central contracts to 25 female cricketers for the first time in 2020. 

ACB also received a $ 37 million grant from the iCC to be invested in the development of the game for both men and women.

The contracted female cricketers were paid for the first six months before the Taliban came to power and they stopped receiving their salaries.

After seizing control, the Taliban government banned women from participating in sports, visiting universities and working for NGOs.

In light of the women’s restrictions, Australia pulled out of three-match ODI series against Afghanistan to be played in the United Arab Emirates in March.

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