Afghan women cricketers criticise overseas players in new Afghanistan league

Afghan women cricketers have accused overseas players who signed for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League of sending a message that the suffering of women in Afghanistan can simply be ignored. The criticism, reported by the BBC, follows a player draft that included several England players.

Women's participation in sport has been effectively outlawed in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Many of the country's female cricketers left the country for their own safety. Without recognition from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport's global governing body, they now play as the Afghan Refugee Women's Team.

The men's league is expected to start in December in the United Arab Emirates. It has not yet been sanctioned by the ICC.

Eight English players were signed in the draft. They are Alex Hales, Tymal Mills, Joe Clarke, Olly Stone, Moeen Ali, Luke Wood, Tom Moores and Chris Wood. Dawid Malan and James Vince also put their names into the draft. Scotland's George Munsey and Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher secured deals too, and players from Australia and New Zealand were also picked. England will have more overseas players in the league than any other country.

The pressure on players was building before the draft. In September, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) urged players to reconsider their involvement. England batter Ollie Pope has withdrawn from the league. The ECB has refused to schedule bilateral cricket, meaning a series between two countries, with Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Australia takes the same stance.

Nahida Sapan captained the Afghanistan Refugee Women's XI on their summer tour of England. She told the BBC's Stumped podcast that the women and girls of Afghanistan come first. Their rights, dignity and freedom matter more, she said, than any league or sporting opportunity.

The refugee team has a longer history than the men's league. A women's side formed in 2012 folded shortly afterwards. The national team was officially relaunched in 2020, only to be lost again when the Taliban took control. In April 2025, the ICC and the boards of England, Australia and India announced a joint programme to provide financial support for Afghan women players.

In July 2026, the ICC re-constituted a Special Taskforce to build a roadmap for the refugee side. The ICC has endorsed a development pathway for these players, and the team is set to take part in ICC qualification pathways by 2030. Support already includes access to coaches, strength and conditioning staff and physiotherapy.

For fans, the debate comes down to a simple question about who the sport is for. The men's league is a new commercial opportunity for players, while the women it might be asked to stand alongside still cannot play in their own country. Players and boards have to weigh that gap, and so do the people who watch them.