ICC think over setting aside fund for Afghanistan women’s players

According to reports, the prospect of setting aside money for Afghanistan women can be raised at the ICC's annual meetings in Colombo this weekend. The same could be done after the ICC has been under immense pressure to find a solution to the ACB’s inability to find a women’s team.

Apart from the ICC, Cricket Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have been reported to discuss the possibilities of such a move at the ICC Board meeting on Sunday. The suggestion could involve a percentage of the annual revenue being distributed to the Afghanistan team by the ICC as a full member, to be used towards Afghanistan women's cricket.

The matter has taken urgency after a group of women Afghanistan cricketers wrote to ICC chair Greg Barclay asking for help in setting up a refugee team for them in Australia, where many of them had fled after the Taliban takeover.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women’s rights in Afghanistan have taken a huge hit, with secondary education and work, as well as sporting activity, denied to them. It is also worth noting that the letter to Greg Barclay was sent after the men’s team had reached the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024.

The 17 women belonging to Afghanistan, have asked the ICC to recognize their group as a refugee team administered by the East Asian Cricket Office based at Cricket Australia. Interestingly, Australia has refused to play bilateral cricket against Afghanistan till the time their women's team doesn't come to play. Though both sides meet often in ICC tournaments, their bilateral affairs seem to be at a standstill. 

Furthermore, the ICC’s annual revenue distribution to its members does not specify how much money they should spend on women's cricket, and working out exactly what percentage should be kept aside could prove to be difficult. 

The ACB is known to receive USD 17 million annually from the ICC as per the revenue model, and it is yet to be known how much will be kept aside for women’s cricket in the country.