In a groundbreaking transfer, International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah has introduced a serious initiative to assist exiled Afghanistan girls cricketers forward of the upcoming World Cup.
Jay Shah steps as much as the crease for ladies’s cricket future
After the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, many Afghan girls, together with gifted cricketers, had been pressured to flee the nation attributable to strict bans on training, sports activities, and public participation. With assist already prolonged by the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the ICC has now stepped in with a devoted fund and high-performance programme geared toward reviving the goals of those displaced athletes. Shah’s imaginative and prescient not solely reaffirms the ICC’s dedication to inclusivity but in addition breathes new life right into a group that when confronted extinction.
Shah’s announcement marks a turning level in cricket’s world mission. The ICC will arrange a assist fund for Afghan girls cricketers who now reside in exile, offering them with teaching, monetary assist, and structured coaching. The transfer is a part of a broader initiative that features a activity power devoted to making sure these gamers can proceed their skilled journeys. Shah, who beforehand served as BCCI president, emphasised the ICC’s dedication to giving each cricketer – no matter their background or circumstances – an equal alternative to shine.
“On the Worldwide Cricket Council, we’re deeply dedicated to fostering inclusivity and guaranteeing each cricketer has the chance to shine, no matter their circumstances. In collaboration with our valued companions, we’re proud to launch this activity power and assist fund, complemented by a complete high-performance programme, to make sure displaced Afghan girls cricketers can proceed their journey within the sport,” Shah said in an ICC media launch.
I am proud to announce on behalf of the @ICC a landmark initiative we have partnered on with the BCCI, England & Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia to help displaced Afghan girls cricketers in each their cricketing and growth journeys.
Media launch:… pic.twitter.com/Rf3n0ZBy53
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) April 13, 2025
Additionally READ: Cricket Australia announces squad for the 2025 Lanning vs Perry series
Afghani girls cricketer’s message of hope and resilience
The ICC’s motion sends a robust message: that the spirit of the game can conquer oppression. Earlier this 12 months, exiled Afghan girls cricketers performed a landmark match in opposition to a Cricket With out Borders XI in Canberra – an emotional and symbolic occasion that showcased their timeless love for the sport. Seventeen Afghan gamers had additionally written to the ICC, in search of assist in establishing a proper setup in Australia. Their plea has now acquired a robust response.
Firooza Amiri, one of many main voices among the many exiled gamers, has earlier urged Afghanistan’s males’s group to talk up for his or her feminine counterparts. With the ICC’s assist, these girls now have greater than only a platform – they’ve a objective. Cricket, for them, is not only a sport; it’s a type of resistance, a technique to reclaim their identification, and a beacon of hope within the face of adversity.
Additionally WATCH: Hardik Pandya gifts Kashvee Gautam a bat for her maiden India call up ahead of DC vs MI game in IPL 2025
This text was first printed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
