Afghan women set for ICC funding extension Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Afghanistan’s women celebrate a wicket during a T20 match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval in Melbourne in January 2025ByTimothy AbrahamBBC Sport journalistPublished57 minutes agoAfghanistan’s women’s refugee team are set to have their funding extended.Last year, the cricket boards in England, Australia and India, plus the International Cricket Council (ICC), revealed a combined programme to support the players who were exiled after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Sources have told BBC Sport the task force responsible for the matter met during the governing body’s annual conference in Edinburgh and recommended the project continue.
ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja will now formally present that recommendation at the board meeting on Saturday.
Officials from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have all backed the proposal and it would be a major surprise if the ICC board do not sign it off.
The three boards are also keen for the ICC to play a more substantial role in the project moving forward with a share of the funding and resources.
Since settling in Australia, where they now live and train, Afghanistan’s women’s players have repeatedly called on the ICC to recognise them once again as an international team and commit to long-term funding.
They are currently on a tour of the UK and last month called on the ICC to give them a “clear answer” on what their future looks like.
An exact timeframe for how long the funding will exist for will be discussed at the board meeting but it is understood there could be a commitment up until 2032.
What is currently less clear is what the roadmap looks like for their prospects of playing official internationals.
BBC Sport understands a formal paper prepared by Clare Connor, chair of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, will also be submitted to the ICC board for consideration.
That paper includes a proposal that the governing body permit the team to play official international cricket.
However, the issue is an extremely complex and sensitive one for the ICC to navigate so a clear decision might not be quite so straightforward.
The ICC understandably have a duty of care to officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board who are accountable to the Taliban.
Equally, there are also some concerns of what the long-term implications could mean for men’s cricket in Afghanistan.
Nevertheless the fact the issue of official matches has been brought to the table at board level is seen as a significant moment and would provide a basis for further conversations.
Afghanistan’s women met with ICC president Jay Shah and fellow ICC officials at Lord’s before the Women’s T20 World Cup final on 5 July and a number of key speeches were mentioned to be well received by influential figures present.
The ICC have also been quietly strengthening the structure around the project.
Last month the ICC’s executive committee agreed to add a dedicated female representative to the task force – which had been largely been made up of men – for consultation on key decisions.
Additionally, they agreed that Pitch Our Future, an Australian campaign that raises funds and support for the displaced Afghan women’s cricket team, will be consulted during future task force meetings to ensure the voices of the players were adequately represented.
