The Cricket players of exiled women in Afghanistan will be the first beneficiaries of a new refugee fund started by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the club said on Friday.
Hundreds of athletes fled from Afghanistan after the Taliban recovered power in 2021 and affected radical restrictions in women in the country.
Of the 25 Afghan women hired by the country’s Cricket Board in 2020, most settled in Australia and played their first game on Thursday.
The Global Cricket Fund for MCC refugees, whose objective is initially to raise one million pounds ($ 1.24 million), is intended for displaced communities such as Afghan players.
“Cricket has the power to inspire, unite and empower, and through this initiative, our goal is to contribute hope and opportunity to those who need it most,” said MCC secretary, Rob Lynch, in a statement.
While Afghanistan has a established male team and enjoys funds from the International Cricket Council, women are not financed and are not authorized by the global body despite the support of the players.
Taliban say that they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that are internal issues that must be addressed locally.
The early approach to the refugee fund will be to raise money to provide safe training facilities, educational opportunities and growth roads, said the MCC, which is responsible for the laws of the Cricket, in a statement.
The Cricket Board of England and Wales has also lent a hand.
“The Cricket community must take measures, to support the brave Afghan women and to hop that the Cricket can be a sport for any woman,” said Clare Connor, executive director of the ECB, Clare Connor.
“We hope that the launch of the Fund will inspire other Cricket organizations to support this cause and unlock Crick’s power to unite communities around the world.”
