The Afghanistan Refugee Women’s Team will begin a landmark England tour on Monday, 22 June, during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed the programme will include high-quality training opportunities and T20 matches, with support from MCC and the MCC Foundation.
The squad is made up of former Afghanistan women’s players whose cricketing lives were upended after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Many of the players are now based in Australia, where they have continued trying to rebuild their careers and keep the idea of an Afghan women’s side visible.
Why the tour matters now
The timing gives the tour clear significance. England is hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup, and the Afghan Refugee Women’s Team are also due to attend the final at Lord’s, according to the ECB’s announcement of the tour.
For the players, this is not simply a symbolic visit. Competitive cricket, structured training and direct exposure to a global tournament give the group rare time together as a team and keep attention on the wider question of opportunity for displaced Afghan women athletes.
ECB deputy chief executive Clare Connor and former Australia international Mel Jones have both framed the tour as a step toward inclusion, while acknowledging that longer-term support remains the real test after the World Cup spotlight moves on.
