Should Afghanistan back women's cricket? Rashid Khan breaks his silence

Rashid Khan has finally addressed the sensitive question of women’s cricket in Afghanistan, offering a rare public insight into his stance amid growing global scrutiny. With several Afghan women cricketers currently living in exile after fleeing the Taliban regime, the issue continues to cast a shadow over Afghanistan’s status in international cricket.

Speaking ahead of Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup clash against New Zealand on February 8, Rashid acknowledged the importance of women’s cricket as part of full ICC membership and expressed pride in seeing Afghans represent the country on any stage.

“Women's team? Definitely. I feel that’s part of the criteria for being a full member. The ICC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board know best, but we love to see anyone representing Afghanistan on any stage. It’s a proud moment, and you’re representing your country," Rashid said in the pre-match press conference.

Last year, Afghanistan women’s cricketer Firooza Amiri had urged the men’s team to publicly support women in the conflict-hit country. She believed the men’s team, given its growing popularity, was in a strong position to help women’s cricket in Afghanistan find a path forward.

Rashid, however, underlined the limitations players face, stressing that such decisions ultimately lie with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the ICC, not individual cricketers.

“But yes, ultimately the decision lies with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the ICC. As players, we don’t have much control and can only focus on what we can influence. In this situation, there’s little we can decide, but our support is always there. The bigger decisions are made by those in charge, and they take it forward," Rashid added.

HAS ICC TAKEN INITIATIVES FOR AFGHAN FEMALE CRICKETERS?

Last year, the ICC had announced that Afghanistan’s refugee women’s team would be given key engagement opportunities at the Women’s World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka, and the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

Unveiled at the ICC’s annual conference last July, the initiative aimed to support Afghan women cricketers who fled the country after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Led by ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja in collaboration with the BCCI, ECB and Cricket Australia, the programme included training camps and matches against domestic teams. The refugee team was also present at the opening match of the 2025 Women’s World Cup in Guwahati.

Meanwhile, the men’s team reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2024 and will carry high expectations, given their steady rise in international cricket over the past decade. Rashid Khan is also closing in on a major milestone, on the verge of becoming the first bowler to take 700 wickets in T20 cricket.

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