Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has called for recognition and support for the Afghanistan women’s and girls’ cricket team.
Mr. Bennett posted a message on his X account stating that the Afghanistan women’s cricket team has been in exile since 2021, and its funding will end in August of this year.
He also emphasized that with the start of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Cricket Council (ICC), no sustainable support mechanism for this team has yet been established.
The UN Special Rapporteur noted that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has managed to find a way to support female football players in Afghanistan, and cricket could take similar action.
He added that recognition and sustainable support for female athletes in Afghanistan is the least that can be expected.
It should be noted that since the current government’s takeover, strict laws have been imposed against women; their presence in stadiums is banned, and participation in many sports for women has been prohibited.
