Overview
- The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Thursday that an Afghanistan Refugee women’s team will tour England beginning June 22 for T20 matches and training.
- Players on the squad were former Afghanistan Cricket Board contractees who left after the Taliban barred women from sport and many later resettled in Australia where they continued to play domestically but lacked international status.
- The programme is organised with the Marylebone Cricket Club and the MCC Foundation and gives the squad tickets to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on July 5.
- Organisers and advocates led by the consultancy It’s Game On and former player Mel Jones call the tour a practical step for inclusion while urging the International Cricket Council to permit a refugee‑team pathway for formal international recognition.
- The visit follows earlier ad hoc support such as Cricket Australia’s 2025 match in Melbourne and highlights ongoing governance questions about ICC member obligations to field women’s teams and the need for sustained institutional backing.