BCCI, ECB, CA to help fund ICC's plan to support Afghan women cricketers

The ICC's support plan for exiled female cricketers from Afghanistan will be funded by contributions from the ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA and will not include any money from the Afghanistan Cricket Board's (ACB) annual disbursements. An ICC spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the initiative to assist the country's displaced women cricketers, which will include coaching and mentorship, "will be constituted through a dedicated fund," and the ACB will continue to receive its full amount from the ICC.

Last year, the prospect of ring-fencing an amount for women's cricket from the ACB's portion of the ICC's revenue distributions was discussed but that plan did not come to fruition. The ACB is the only Full Member board that does not field a women's team, and is not able to because of the severe restrictions on women's rights after the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The ICC's latest plan, announced after their board meeting in Zimbabwe last weekend, is the first attempt by the game's global governing body to engage with Afghanistan's female cricketers in four years. It neither amounts to official recognition nor does it clear the path for Afghanistan to field a women's team, as such a team can only be ratified by the ACB. Instead, the ICC hopes to work with Afghanistan's female cricketers to provide them with both access to the game and funding for further education.

"The ICC does not select a team for Afghanistan. Rather, we are committed to addressing the complexities of the issue and finding a solution that fits within the ICC's legal and constitutional framework," the spokesperson said.

It was also confirmed that the ICC's initiative will not be limited to the 19 Afghan cricketers resident in Australia but, "the plan is to include all displaced Afghan women cricketers regardless of their location."

Some of the 25 players originally contracted by the ACB In 2020, prior to the Taliban takeover, live in Canada and the United Kingdom. As reported by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, the organisation Pitch Our Future, which was set up earlier this year for the 19 Afghan cricketers resident in Australia, will provide the ICC with the names of all the formerly contracted players who will then go through "an accreditation process administered in collaboration with the ICC member boards," in order to access the benefits of the initiative.

The details of training camps and exhibition matches will be fleshed out in the coming weeks once the ICC has appointed a task force to head up the support program. Pitch Our Future, who have already staged a match between an Afghan Women's XI and the charity Cricket Without Borders on January 30 in Melbourne, hope to work with the ICC and already have a three-year budget and plans for activities including a trip to the Women's World Cup 2025 to give Afghanistan's female cricketers exposure to the game they love.

CA have already played a role in assisting the Afghan cricketers through their support for Pitch Our Future but will now, along with the ECB and BCCI, also make a financial contribution. Between them, these three boards earn more than 51% of the ICC's annual revenue, with the BCCI accounting for 38.5%.