The ICC task force meeting in Edinburgh has recommended extending funding for Afghanistan's exiled women's refugee team, with Imran Khwaja set to present the proposal at Saturday's board meeting. The England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and Board of Control for Cricket in India — who jointly launched the programme last year — have all backed continuation, and officials expect formal approval. The three boards are also pushing for the ICC to assume a larger financial and operational share moving forward.

Since resettling in Australia, the players have demanded long-term security and formal recognition as an international side. A commitment through 2032 is under discussion, though the exact duration will be finalised at the board meeting. The team, currently touring the UK, last month pressed the ICC for a definitive answer on their competitive future.

Clare Connor, chair of the ICC Women's Cricket Committee, has submitted a formal paper proposing the governing body permit the side to play official internationals. The issue remains fraught: the ICC must balance its duty of care to Afghanistan Cricket Board officials answerable to the Taliban against the players' rights, while weighing potential repercussions for the men's game.

The matter reached board level after the squad met Jay Shah and senior ICC figures at Lord's before the Women's T20 World Cup final on 5 July. The executive committee has since added a dedicated female representative to the task force and agreed that Pitch Our Future, the Australian campaign supporting the displaced players, will be consulted on key decisions — structural changes that signal the ICC is finally treating player voices as central to the process.