Rashid Khan: 'Definitely' want to see Afghanistan have a women's team

Rashid Khan has said he would "definitely," like to see an Afghanistan women's team in the future but the decision to ratify one is out of his hands.

This is the first time Rashid has made a statement in support of a women's team after previously pleading for women's rights to education under the Taliban government, who have banned women from almost all areas of public life.

Ahead of Afghanistan's T20 World Cup opener against New Zealand in Chennai, Rashid was asked whether "as the biggest ambassador of cricket in Afghanistan," he would be eager to see the country field a women's side.

"Women's team? Oh, well, definitely, I feel like that's the kind of criteria for, I think, being a Full Member," Rashid said. "I think so, the ICC, the Afghanistan Cricket Board, they have the better idea, but we love to see anyone representing Afghanistan on any stage.

"It's a huge proud moment and you're representing your country, but definitely, yes, I think it's all about the decision to be taken by the ACB and ICC.

"Sometimes as a player, you don't have much in the control and we only think about the controllable things, but in this situation, we are in a kind of situation where you can't really much have say in it. But yes, the support you have there, it's always there, but bigger, bigger people comes in and they take the decision and they take it forward."

Full Members are required to have both men's and women's teams and when Afghanistan received their status in 2017, it was with the understanding that they would work towards developing the women's game.

In 2020, they awarded 25 women's contracts and discussed plans for a first tour to Oman. The latter never materialised because by 2021, the Taliban retook Afghanistan and introduced policies that severely curtailed women's rights. These included disallowing them from attending school, seeing male doctors and even having their voices heard in public.

The 25 contracted players sought exile abroad, mostly in Australia from where they have been vocal about their struggle for recognition. Last year, two Afghan players spoke to ESPNcricinfo's Powerplay podcast and asked their men's team to "be the voice of the girls," and "do more for us".

Rashid, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have all spoken in favour of women's education in the past. Meanwhile, Hashmatullah Shahidi last year voiced his support for Afghanistan's women to play cricket, while also pointing out - as Rashid has done in breaking his silence on that topic - that the situation was something "we cannot control".

Rashid's remarks were met with hostility from another exiled female Afghan cricketer, Firooza Afghan, who posted a portion on Instagram with the following caption: "In 2017, the ICC knowingly violated its own international regulations by granting Afghanistan Full Membership without a women's cricket team," she wrote. "That decision was not neutral -- it delivered a direct and devastating blow to women's cricket in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Cricket Board then capitalised on this failure, reinforcing the narrative that only the men's team had earned these achievements and that a women's team was unnecessary."

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Firooza acknowledged that Rashid and his fellow players cannot force the ACB, and therefore the ICC, to recognise a women's team but reiterated her expectation that the men's players can move the needle.

"From a governance perspective, it is the ICC's responsibility to develop and regulate the game," she said. "However, supporting women's cricket and standing up for basic rights goes beyond formal roles. It is something that involves everyone in the sport, especially those with influence and a public platform.

"Players who represent Afghanistan internationally are seen as voices of the country. Afghan women are part of that nation too, and their exclusion should concern all of us. Progress in women's cricket has always required more than policies -- it also needs visible support, advocacy, and accountability.

"Silence may not be intentional, but it still has an impact. Players like Rashid Khan are not just athletes; they are representatives of Afghanistan on the global stage. When there is silence for five years in the face of the exclusion and erasure of the women's team, that silence is not neutrality -- it is an unintentional alignment with injustice.

"No one expects a player to be a policymaker or to make decisions on behalf of the ICC. But standing with team-mates, defending women's right to representation, and clearly saying 'no' to exclusion is the minimum human and ethical responsibility."

Initiatives have been made outside Afghanistan to assist the female players in exile, including a collaboration with the ICC. Some of the Afghanistan players travelled to last year's women's ODI World Cup, as spectators. They are also involved in training camps sponsored by the organisation Pitch Our Vision.

Afghanistan's women's team cannot play under their country's flag unless they are recognised by the ACB, and then the ICC.

Australia and England have refused to engage Afghanistan in bilateral contests over concerns about the treatment of women in that country but they continue to play against them in ICC tournaments.