Afghanistan Women's XI to play in Melbourne ahead of Ashes Test

An Afghanistan women's cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a game in Melbourne in January, the first time they have been able to come together as a group since leaving their country following the Taliban takeover.

The T20 match between an Afghanistan Women's XI and a Cricket Without Borders XI will take place on January 30 at Junction Oval ahead of the opening day of the floodlit Women's Ashes Test at the MCG.

The players involved fled Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban came into power and now live in Canberra and Melbourne. Many play for local cricket clubs but have not been able to form themselves into a representative team.

The Australian government has been involved in helping set up the match.

"Many people across cricket and the community have come together to provide support for members of the Afghanistan women's team since their relocation to Australia and this match will be a celebration of that work," Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said.

"I'm delighted that their ambition to play together will be achieved in this exhibition match which will be a wonderful addition to the many events around the Day/Night Women's Ashes Test."

Earlier this year, 17 of the players who were contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2020 prior to the Taliban takeover wrote to the ICC asking for assistance in setting up a refugee team in Australia.

"Our goals in having a refugee team are to develop and showcase our talent, give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan, and to draw attention to the challenges women of Afghanistan face," the letter said. "Like the Afghanistan men's team, we aim to compete at the highest levels. We want to recruit and train girls and women who love cricket to show the world the talent of Afghan women, and to demonstrate the great victories they can achieve if given a chance through the leadership and financial support of the ICC."

On Tuesday, CA announced a partnership with UNICEF Australia as part of the foundation's "Until Every Girl Can Play" campaign aimed at gender equality.