KABUL - The Afghan women’s cricket team, which was officially relaunched last month, is scheduled to have their first overseas training camp later this month, likely in a Gulf country.
The aim of this is to prepare them for their first international match early next year, Reuters reported.
This comes after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) recently reformed the women’s squad, and awarded contracts to 25 players following trials at the Kabul Stadium.
While Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team has enjoyed a series of successes over the past few years, the national women’s team was quietly disbanded just a few years after it was formed in 2010, amid fears over safety.
The women’s team, which is set to soon start training under an international coach, still face plenty of hurdles in a country where many men are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of their sisters and daughters competing in public, Reuters reported.
Even within the ACB, not everyone thinks a women’s team is a good idea, players and officials told the Reuters.
Security is a major concern, with foreign forces due to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the Taliban, Reuters stated.
The Taliban, which banned girls from being educated when they ruled Afghanistan, now control wide areas of the country and there has been an uptick in attacks on prominent women.
No direct threats against the cricketers have been made, but officials at the ACB said recent attacks including a deadly assault last month on the Kabul University campus had raised fears.
Announcing the formation of the squad last month, the ACB stressed it was “adhering to the traditional Afghan and Islamic values” and would hold its first training camp in an Islamic country.
Chairman Farhan Yusefzai told Reuters he was aware of opposition on the board to setting up a women’s team, but insisted he would not be deterred.
“Many Muslim countries have their national women’s teams,” he said, citing Pakistan, Kuwait and Oman.
“Here in Afghanistan, we have the national football team, volleyball teams, swimming team, so why not cricket,” he said, crediting the women players with “overwhelming” talent and enthusiasm for the game. (ATN)