Hundreds of women athletes fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took over in August 2021, escaping a hardline stance that essentially banned women’s sport and education.

Most of the national women’s cricket side settled as refugees in Australia, where they reunited for the first time on Thursday to play a charity match in Melbourne.

“Together, we’re building not just a team, we’re building a movement for change and promise,” Sapan said in the run-up to the game.

“We have big hopes for this match because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and in the future.”

The Afghanistan Cricket Board made a significant stride in November 2020 when it handed 25 promising women cricketers professional contracts.

But before the fledgling squad had a chance to play together, the Taliban captured capital Kabul and declared an end to women’s cricket.

“We have sacrificed a lot to be here today,” said cricketer Firooza Amiri after the match.

“The situation in Afghanistan is very terrible. Women don’t have their rights.

“I can live freely in Australia and live my life the way I want.

“But back home in Afghanistan… I can only say it is very heartbreaking and very hard to live in that situation.”

‘Profound sadness’

Diana Barakzai, who helped found Afghanistan’s first women’s cricket programme almost 20 years ago, said Thursday’s match was an “amazing moment”.

“I’m sure it’s a big message for the world, that the world will do something for Afghan women,” she told AFP.

“Especially for opening the school doors, opening up work for women.”

Of the 25 women once contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, 22 are now settled in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Canberra.

Some of these players have lobbied the governing International Cricket Council in the hopes of forming a refugee team with some kind of official status.

“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers,” some players wrote in a joint letter last year.

“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.”

The council has so far ignored these calls.

Thursday’s game was played at Melbourne’s Junction Oval, a storied ground where a young Shane Warne once plied his trade.

The Afghan side played an invitational outfit representing Cricket Without Borders, a charity which aims to draw young women into the game.

Clad in cricket pads, helmets and blue shirts of a similar shade to the national men’s side, the Afghan XI gathered for a brief team prayer before batting first.

After setting a target of 103 runs from 20 overs, they were pipped with just four balls to spare.

Shazia Zazai, the former Afghan national captain, top scored with 40 runs from 45 balls.

Governing body Cricket Australia threw its weight behind the match, pledging to “advocate” for the Afghan women’s side at the highest levels.

“I’m just so proud of everyone across Australian cricket who’s worked to support the players since they’ve been in Australia,” chief executive Nick Hockley said earlier this week.

Citing human rights concerns, Australia has in recent years boycotted a series of non-tournament fixtures against the Afghanistan men’s side.