Afghan women athletes rebuild their sporting careers in Australia after fleeing Taliban rule

MELBOURNE: When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan again four years ago, women and girls were swiftly barred from playing sports.

For many of the country’s top female athletes, the only way to stay alive – and keep their sporting dreams alive – was to flee.

Among them was 21-year-old cricketer Firooza Amiri, who escaped to Australia with nothing but an Afghanistan team shirt she could not bring herself to destroy.

For Firooza, cricket is more than just a game – it is a passion that has shaped her life.

The sport is also what made her a target once the Taliban seized power in 2021, when the United States withdrew troops after nearly two decades of war. It prompted a mass exodus as thousands tried to flee the country.

Firooza, who played for Afghanistan’s national team, spent weeks in hiding as the new regime hunted down female athletes.

“They were checking the houses. First thing I did, I burnt everything. All my cricket gear, my medals,” she told CNA.

“The only thing I couldn’t burn was my Afghanistan T-shirt. That means so much to me. For me, that T-shirt is something that every time I looked at it, (I thought:) I cannot give up on cricket.”

She was one of 19 Afghan women cricketers who received emergency humanitarian visas to Australia.

Today, she has made good on her promise not to give up on her sport – honing her batting skills with Dandenong Cricket Club in Melbourne.

“It’s not only about playing cricket and escaping reality. Sport always gave me a voice, and I use that voice to always say that we belong on the field,” she said.

Firooza’s determination is contagious, said the club’s assistant coach Veronica McLeod.

“She comes every week to every training, every game with an amazing positive attitude. It actually