MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Afghan women cricketers will finally get high-level support in a bid to rejoin international competition after the sport’s world governing body created a taskforce to coordinate direct funding, elite coaching and facilities for displaced players.
Dozens of players from Afghanistan’s national women’s team relocated to Australia after the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 and enforced bans on women's sports. The players have been seeking official support ever since.
The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players.
ICC chairman Jay Shah said his organization is “deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances.”
“The ICC believes this (support fund) will not only help preserve the sporting careers of Afghan women cricketers but also reinforce the sport’s role as a unifying force that transcends borders and adversity," he said.
An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January, bringing together 21 female players who were formerly contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Since leaving Afghanistan many of the women cricketers have been based in the Australian capital and in Melbourne and playing for club teams in local competitions.
Firooza Amiri said ahead of that exhibition match in January that her team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights.”
Amiri fled her home country with her family and first traveled to Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia.
Under Taliban rule, the Afghanistan Cricket Board cannot field a national women’s team because the country’s laws forbid women from playing sport, studying and medical education, moves that have been criticized by world groups including the International Criminal Court.
Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council and a condition of that status should require it to have a women’s national team.
England and Australia have refused to participate in direct series against Afghanistan in protest, but continue to play against the Afghan men in ICC events.
It was the Afghanistan men’s historic run to the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year that sparked the women's team members to again approach the ICC about funding.
The group first approached the ICC in 2023, asking for support for a refugee team based in Australia to rejoin international cricket.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
FILE - Afghan players congratulate top scoring batter Zazai as she walks off the field during their match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks left the court for halftime down by six on the scoreboard and way behind in the free throw statistics.
The Detroit Pistons wound up shooting 34 free throws Monday night in their 100-94 victory over the Knicks, who took 19 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round matchup.
The series is even and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said afterward the free throws need to be as well.
“Obviously huge discrepancy in free throws,” Thibodeau said. “Huge. I've got to take a look at that.”
Thibodeau felt that Jalen Brunson, his point guard, wasn't getting the same type of calls that fellow All-Star Cade Cunningham received. The Knicks clearly want to be physical with Cunningham, as they were in their Game 1 victory, but struggled to do it without being whistled for fouls Monday.
“I don’t understand how on one side you talk about direct line drives. The guy is getting fouled and it’s not being called,” Thibodeau said. “And look, I don’t really give a crap how they call the game, as long as it’s consistent on both sides. So, if Cunningham is driving and there is marginal contact and he is getting to the line, then Jalen deserves to be getting to the line. It’s really that simple.”
The free throws for those two players were actually about even. Cunningham finished 10 for 12, while Brunson was 9 for 11. And Ausar Thompson, the primary defender on Brunson, fouled out of the game.
But the Knicks struggled to shake their frustration with the officiating in the first half. The Pistons took 14 free throws in the first two quarters and Brunson attempted the only two given to the Knicks.
Thibodeau frequently complains about the pounding Brunson takes and the Knicks keep a close eye on the officiating, even taking the rare step of including a breakdown of the game's three officials and some of their relevant stats in their pregame media notes.
Brunson thinks maybe they need to worry less during the games.
“Regardless if fouls are being called or not called, we’ve got to adjust and I feel like we did that a little too late into the game,” he said. “And so regardless of how it’s reffed, we’ve got to adjust and we’ve got to adapt to that and go on from there.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives toward the basket against New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) reacts after a referee call during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, right, yells at referee Justin Van Duyne, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) loses control of the ball during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Monday, April 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
