Cricket Australia’s chief executive Nick Holley describes Thursday’s exhibition match as the first small step in playing international cricket with Afghanistan women XI in Melbourne and says it is a ‘Asha Lighthouse’ that will start a global conversation.
An Afghan women’s cricket team, who lives in Australia, now lives in Australia, on Thursday morning, the Cricket Without Borders will play a Twenty20 match before the opening day of the Ashes Test at Melbourne Junction Oval. MCG which starts in the afternoon.
This is the first time they have been able to gather as a group after leaving their country after the Taliban occupied, half of the group settled in Canberra and the other half settled in Melbourne.
Nahida Sapon, two of Afghanistan’s XI players at the Junction Oval on Monday, spoke to Nahida Sopan and Firoza Amiri that Sapan was declared as captain of the match. Cricket Without Borders Chair Claire Canon, Director Jacobs and Australia’s Federal Assistant Ministers for Foreign Affairs Team Wats were also present because the match was jointly organized, jointly in joint efforts between CA, Cricket Without Borders and the Australian government.
“I think this is a first step,” said Huckley. “We got a colleague from ECB for women’s Ashes, and the conversation to support Australia along with England. So I think the first part is awareness. But I think it’s going to be an exciting. Thursday day, and I hope it is a lot of conversation By promoting it, it became an annual thing and in the end, this group was able to compete on their international stage as they wish.
“I don’t think that none of us realize they did what they did through moving to a new country in such difficult situations. I am not just saying their elasticity, their love for the game and hopefully by this game. Only Increases awareness, a real lighthouse of hope.
“I was confidential for a moment where they first saw their play shirt whose names and numbers were behind them, and you could see how important it is to them. So I really hope this is really a successful for this group The step of the journey, but also this match focuses on the fact that every woman and girl in different parts of the world do not have the opportunity to play. ”
Sapon is playing cricket in Melbourne for Carnegie and Amiri is playing for Dandenong. But both players are excited to have the opportunity to play in Afghanistan’s XI.
“This is really special for us, especially for Afghan women because it’s a historic moment for all Afghan women,” Sapon said. “We have a lot of hope for this match because this match can open the door for Afghan women. We don’t want it to be our first and last match. We want more matches. We want more support.”
Amy, who was a prominent voice for female cricketers in Afghanistan, was thrilled that the team could unite for the first time.
“We are going to represent millions of Afghan women that they are in Afghanistan and are deprived of their rights,” he said. “And after three years of losing everything in Afghanistan, it is very special for all of us to come back together after three years.
“The game together for all of us is going to be very exciting. We’ve done a few camps together, but it’s going to be our first match. We’re looking for a win.”
Australia is currently playing bilateral games with Afghanistan but they are facing the ICC event and are in the same group in the Champions Trophy of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor of ESPNCricinfo
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