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The Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team (AWCT) is the first recipient of the Global Refugee Cricket Fund launched by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the MCC Foundation. The Fund was created to provide vital support to Afghan refugees, particularly women cricketers, and to promote cricket as a tool for unity, empowerment and opportunity.
The campaign will initially focus on raising funds for “Pitch Our Future”, an Australian-led program to support players from the former AWCT. Following the ban on women’s cricket in Afghanistan, players were forced to flee the country to escape severe threats to their safety. Many of them found refuge in countries like Australia, Canada and the UK. Pitch Our Future will provide these women with safe training facilities, educational opportunities and pathways to continue their cricketing journeys in exile.
The MCC Foundation has a long history of using cricket to support vulnerable communities, with programs in countries including Afghanistan, Rwanda, Serbia, Lebanon and Italy. This new fund will amplify those efforts, offering life-changing support to those displaced by conflict and persecution.
The Fund’s objectives include:
- Empower Refugee Communities through Cricket: using cricket as a platform for inclusion and personal development.
- Support Women in Cricket Worldwide: ensuring access to cricket for women facing significant social and cultural barriers.
- Promote Global Awareness and Advocacy: amplifying voices that advocate for gender equality and the importance of sports in rebuilding lives.
The Fund will:
- Provide Access to Facilities: offering displaced Afghan women cricketers the opportunity to train and develop in secure environments.
- Offer Education and Mentorship: facilitating scholarships and mentorship to help women build sustainable futures beyond cricket.
- Promote Advocacy and Awareness: raising awareness about the importance of women in sports and advocating for global equality.
- Build Strong Programs: supporting the development of players, coaches and administrators in both cricket and broader career paths.
The initiative aims to raise £1 million to support these programs, with funding coming from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), MCC, corporate sponsorships, government grants and individual donations. The Steering Committee, consisting of representatives from the MCC Foundation, MCC, ECB, Pitch Our Future, refugee organizations and Afghan women’s advocates, will oversee the Fund.
Since 2021, Pitch Our Future has played a crucial role in supporting the displaced Afghan Women’s Cricket Team in Australia. The program provides safe training environments, education and opportunities for development, helping the women rebuild their careers and inspire others facing similar struggles. The MCC and MCC Foundation are calling on the global cricketing community, corporate partners and individual supporters to join this transformative initiative, helping to empower Afghan women cricketers and promote equality through sport.
Photos: MCC
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