ICC to decide fate of Afghanistan women's refugee team in July 2026

Funding for Afghanistan's women's refugee cricket team will be examined at the ICC's July 2026 conference.

Funding plans discussed At the International Cricket Council's annual meeting next month, officials will review the financial future of Afghanistan's women's refugee cricket team. Last year, the cricket boards of England, Australia, and India joined the ICC to launch a joint initiative supporting players forced to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control in 2021. The squad made history by playing their first competitive match in Melbourne in January 2025 and traveled to India for last year's 50-over World Cup. ## England tour and funding deadline The team is currently in England for a series of developmental T20 matches this summer, but their existing financial support expires in August. The four-day ICC conference begins in Edinburgh on 8 July, just three days after the Afghan squad attends the T20 World Cup final at Lord's. Earlier this month, Clare Connor, managing director of women's cricket and deputy chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, warned that failing to secure long-term funding would be an unacceptable failure. ## Players' demands and recognition Over twenty members of what was once Afghanistan's national women's cricket team have been living in exile since female participation in sports was banned in their home country. The players have expressed a strong desire to compete internationally, though no agreement on this has been reached yet. In April, Afghanistan was granted permission by FIFA to rejoin international women's football competitions. ## Leadership's call for responsibility Clare Connor told the Stumped podcast that not creating a sustainable funding model for the Afghanistan team would be an abandonment of cricket's responsibilities. She emphasized that the sport must find a way to support these athletes who lost their opportunity to play in their own nation. The discussion at the ICC conference will also explore broader ways to include refugees in cricket globally.