ICC Establishes Special Task Force for Displaced Afghan Women Cricketers; Bavuma Joins Men’s Cricket Committee

The International Cricket Council (ICC) plans to establish a specialized task force aimed at assisting those who have been displaced. Afghanistan Women cricketers. On Sunday, ICC Chairman Jay Shah announced this development. The top cricket authority has now teamed up with the The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) , the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA) to support female cricket players in Afghanistan.

The ICC will now help female cricketers in Afghanistan with both their cricket careers and personal growth.

A special fund will be set up to offer immediate financial support directly to female cricket players from Afghanistan. Additionally, an intensive high-performance program will commence, providing top-tier coaching, state-of-the-art amenities, and personalized mentoring aimed at helping these athletes achieve their fullest capabilities.

"At the International Cricket Council, we are strongly dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and guaranteeing that each cricket player gets the chance to excel, irrespective of their background. Together with our esteemed partners, we are delighted to introduce this task force along with a support fund, enhanced by a thorough high-performance program, aimed at enabling displaced Afghan female cricketers to keep pursuing their athletic aspirations in the game," stated Jay Shah in an official announcement.

He further stated, 'This initiative exemplifies our unwavering commitment to the worldwide expansion of cricket and its ability to foster unity, resilience, and hope.'

Previously, Human Rights Watch had asked the ICC to halt operations in Afghanistan and prohibit the Taliban-controlled nation from participating in global cricket competitions.

"At present, we are reaching out to request that the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspends Taliban-controlled Afghanistan from ICC membership and prevents them from taking part in international cricket matches, until such time when women and girls are able to engage in both education and sports within their nation," reads the message sent to Jay Shah, according to reports by ESPNCricinfo.

For those who may not be familiar with the situation, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again in 2021, women in the nation have faced numerous strict regulations preventing them from participating in sports activities.

Prior to the Taliban reclaiming control in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had signed contracts with 25 female players, many of whom currently reside in exile in Australia.

Temba Bavuma has been named to the Men's Cricket Committee.

The ICC also verified the selection of Temba Bavuma, who captains both Tests and ODIs for South Africa, to the Men’s Cricket Committee. Joining Bavuma is Jonathan Trott, the head coach of Afghanistan, who has also received this appointment.

In contrast, Avril Fahey and Pholetsi Moseki have joined the ICC Women's Cricket Committee.

The complete list of assignments is as follows:

ICC Women's Cricket Committee: Reappointed member Catherine Campbell, along with Avril Fahey and Pholetsi Moseki.

The ICC Men’s Cricket Committee has reappointed Sourav Ganguly as Chairman, along with Hamid Hassan, Desmond Haynes, Temba Bavuma, and VVS Laxman (also reappointed), and Jonathan Trott being brought onto the committee.

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