Afghan Cricketer Firooza Amiri Criticizes ICC for Lack of Support
Afghanistan cricketer Firooza Amiri has openly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to support the Afghan women’s national team after they were forced to flee their home country and seek refuge in Australia.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women’s participation in sports has been effectively banned in Afghanistan. Shortly thereafter, more than 20 members of the women’s national cricket team fled to Australia in search of safety and the chance to continue their cricketing careers.
Speaking to BBC Test Match Special during the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes in Melbourne, Amiri expressed her disappointment with the ICC.
“Cricket Australia has done more for us than the ICC,” she stated. “They’ve always tried to keep hope alive for us. We’ve reached out to the ICC numerous times for help because we’ve sacrificed so much to be here. But they’ve done nothing, and we haven’t heard from them since we arrived.”
Last week, the ICC released a statement saying it “remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan,” but this has done little to reassure Amiri and her teammates.
Amiri, who had to leave behind friends in Afghanistan, was fortunate that her parents could join her in Australia. She has since learned English and found work, but the journey has been challenging.
The team initially requested permission from the ICC to play as a refugee side, a proposal that has not been approved.
Despite the setbacks, the Afghan women’s team is set to play an exhibition match against a Cricket Without Borders XI before the Women’s Ashes Test in Melbourne on January 30. Amiri hopes the match will send a powerful message of resilience and hope to women in Afghanistan and around the world who have lost their rights.
“Cricket can break boundaries,” Amiri said. “We want to keep hope alive. We want to play and educate.”
The exhibition match is seen as a symbol of defiance and a call for solidarity with women facing oppression globally.cket fans worldwide will witness emerging talents and the future stars of women’s cricket on an unforgettable journey through Malaysia.