Tehran- IRAF- Rashid Khan, captain and prominent figure in Afghan cricket, spoke after his team’s first match in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, February 8. In response to a question about the possibility of the Afghan women’s team returning, he said:
“Yes, absolutely. We want everyone representing Afghanistan to be seen on the stage.”
He emphasized that reforming the women’s team and its participation in international competitions is a decision that lies with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Rashid Khan added: “As players, we don’t have much authority. Support has always been there, but ultimately, more powerful people make the decisions.”
Reactions from Former Players
These remarks drew sharp criticism from Firozeh Afghan, a former player of the women’s national cricket team.
In an Instagram post, she wrote that in 2017, when the ICC granted Afghanistan full membership without a women’s team, it violated its own regulations. She called this decision a “devastating blow” to women’s cricket in Afghanistan.
According to her, this allowed the Afghanistan Cricket Board to reinforce the narrative that a women’s team was unnecessary.
Addressing Rashid Khan, Firozeh Afghan wrote:
“If the ICC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board really knew better, Afghan women’s cricket would not have been marginalized like this. Afghanistan already had a women’s team.”
After the Taliban returned to power, all women’s national teams were disbanded and women were banned from participating in sports.
The Afghan women’s national cricket team, which had around 25 players in 2020, now mostly lives in exile, with many members playing for local clubs in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Rashid Khan’s Bigger Dream: Hosting an International Match in Kabul
Rashid Khan also spoke about his bigger dream: hosting the first official international cricket match in Kabul.
He described this dream as “bigger than winning a World Cup”, saying:
“If one day we can play in our nation’s capital in front of Afghan fans, that moment will be more valuable to me than any trophy or title.”
He believes that hosting an international match in Kabul could show the world a more accurate picture of the Afghan people and their passion for cricket:
“That day, the world will see how warmly Afghans welcome international players and how passionately they follow cricket.”
So far, Afghanistan has been unable to host international matches due to insecurity and instability, and has held its home games in India and the UAE.
However, Rashid Khan says playing in Kabul would be “the greatest possible honor” for him and his teammates.
