“Their rights, dignity and freedom matter more than any league or sporting opportunity,” the captain of the Afghanistan Refugee Women’s XI said on the BBC’s Stumped podcast. Afghan women’s cricketers have accused the overseas players who signed up for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League of sending a message that women suffering in their country can simply be ignored.

Women’s participation in sport has been effectively outlawed in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Many of the country’s female cricketers left for their own safety. The men’s franchise league is expected to begin on December 27 in the UAE, but it has yet to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The league held its inaugural player draft on November 3 at a Conference Centre in Dubai, in the UAE. Eight English players secured contracts, alongside players from Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, giving England more overseas representation than any other country. In September, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had urged players to reconsider their involvement, and one England batter withdrew.

Refugee women's team calls for solidarity

The Afghanistan Refugee Women’s XI captain, who guided the team on its summer tour of England, said overseas players could show solidarity with millions of Afghan women and girls by opting out. She stressed that the criticism is not directed against cricket or the Afghanistan men’s team. It is about standing up for basic human rights. Taking part without acknowledging what is happening to Afghan women risks signalling that their suffering can be disregarded.

A batter on the same team urged international players to examine the organisations and competitions they choose to represent. She distinguished support for the Afghan people from legitimising a system that has systematically taken away women’s rights. She said the growth of men’s cricket in Afghanistan should not obscure the complete exclusion of half the population from the game.

ECB to question league funding at ICC meetings

The ECB will raise concerns over the funding of the proposed league at upcoming ICC meetings, according to Geosuper. Afghan women’s cricketers said the Afghanistan Cricket Board has no ability to sell tickets. It is using ICC money to fund the Afghan Premier League while other members fund women’s cricket.

The ICC declined to comment, but it is understood the governing body considers its revenue distribution model, approved by the ICC board in 2023, a separate issue from sanctioning a new franchise competition. The ECB chair described the treatment of women in Afghanistan as gender apartheid last year. The ECB chief executive called the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s decision to hold the draft before securing ICC sanction a difficult position for the ECB. He preferred to focus on the regulatory process rather than criticise the players who signed.

The ECB intends to issue no-objection certificates to the eight England players. None of them are centrally contracted to the board, and refusing permission could expose it to legal challenges under restraint-of-trade regulations.

Full ICC membership despite no women's national team

Afghanistan’s men’s side continues to hold full ICC membership despite failing to satisfy the criterion of backing a women’s national team. The women’s players have repeatedly called on the ICC to recognise them again as an international team and commit to long-term funding. Without official recognition, they compete as the Afghan Refugee Women’s Team. In April 2025, the ICC together with the cricket boards of England, Australia and India announced a joint programme of financial support for the players, and that funding was extended in July.

ECB Boycotts Bilaterals While Global Matches Continue

Since the Taliban’s return to power, the ECB has declined to arrange bilateral matches against Afghanistan, a position mirrored by Australia. At international tournaments such as the World Cups in both limited-overs formats and the Champions Trophy, England have kept facing Afghanistan. That prompted MPs to urge a boycott of their 2025 fixture.

Imagine being told that she cannot play sport, pursue her ambitions or participate in public life.

A batter, Afghanistan Refugee Women’s XI