Afghan women's cricketers have accused overseas players signing up for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League of sending a message that women suffering in the country can simply be ignored. Women's participation in sport has been effectively outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, and many of Afghanistan's female cricketers left the country for their own safety. The men's franchise league is expected to start in December in the UAE, though it is yet to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Nahida Sapan, who captained the Afghanistan Refugee Women's XI on this summer's tour of England, stated that for five years girls in Afghanistan have been denied the right to play cricket and many other basic rights. She argued that foreign players had a real opportunity to stand with millions of Afghan women and girls by choosing not to participate, as even a small action could have sent a powerful message and put pressure on those responsible.
England's Alex Hales, Tymal Mills, Joe Clarke, Olly Stone, Moeen Ali, Luke Wood, Tom Moores and Chris Wood were among the eight English players signed in the draft, alongside Scotland's George Munsey and Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher. Other major names include Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and Kamindu Mendis, Australia's D'Arcy Short, South Africa's Imran Tahir and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan. England will have more overseas representation than any other country in the Afghan league. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) urged players to reconsider their involvement, and batter Ollie Pope withdrew. Sapan emphasized that taking part in this league without acknowledging what is happening to Afghan women risks sending the message to the world that their suffering can simply be ignored.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing