Refugee who tried to flee the Taliban 15 times finally safe to play cricket
Firooza Afghan, an Afghan refugee, has successfully escaped the Taliban after 15 attempts and is now pursuing her passion for cricket in Australia. She was part of the Afghan women's cricket team before the Taliban's takeover, which banned women's sports. Firooza and her teammates are now advocating for recognition in international cricket while enjoying their new lives in Australia.
- ▪Firooza Afghan attempted to flee the Taliban 15 times before successfully escaping to Australia.
- ▪She was passionate about cricket and had been selected for the women's Afghanistan cricket team before the Taliban took over.
- ▪Firooza and her family initially left Afghanistan illegally and spent nine months in Pakistan before seeking refuge in Australia.
- ▪The Afghan Refugee Women's XI team is touring Darwin and will soon compete in the UK.
- ▪Firooza is calling on the International Cricket Council to recognize displaced Afghan players for international competition.
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Sat, 30 May21:30--→Tue, 2 June21:30--→Thu, 4 June21:30--→ Cricket Score Centre Afghan Refugee Women's XI Cricket Tour of Darwin spotlights need for gender equality in sportTBy Tilda CollingTopic:CricketFri 29 May 2026 at 10:58amFri 29 May 2026 at 10:58amFri 29 May 2026 at 10:58amThe Afghan Refugee Women's cricket team have been touring Darwin and playing matches. (ABC News: Marcus Kennedy)abc.net.au/news/nt-afghan-refugee-women-athletes-cricket-tour-of-darwin/106731180Link copiedShareShare articleIt was love at first sight when Firooza Afghan watched her first cricket match.Seeing the Afghan flag being raised before the game and the crack of the ball colliding with a cricket bat filled her with national pride.In her hometown of Herat, she was determined to set up a women's league,…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).