Highlights
- Nilab Stanikzai and Shafiqa Khan were resettled in Australia following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.
- While they say they're grateful for the sanctuary offered by Australia, they hope to continue their careers Down Under.
More than a year after the Taliban overran Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, memories of that difficult period still reverberate for two members of the country's women's cricket team, who have found refuge in Australia.
Nilab Stanikzai, 21, tells SBS Pashto that "life had stopped" when the fundamentalist group overran the country.
"Even though I was alive, I felt dead inside, it was a very difficult moment," she says, recalling that she had only two days to pack up and leave Afghanistan after being granted an Australian humanitarian visa.
“I was at home at night when they told me about the Australian visa. Initially, I couldn’t believe it and thought someone was playing a trick."
The fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021, saw an immediate halt to women's participation in sports in Afghanistan.
, the Taliban's cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq confirmed the ban, stating that sport was not seen as something important for women.
For Ms Stanikzai, not only did the ban mean she lost the right to play the sport she loved but also that she was now unemployed, having played professionally since 2016.
In 2020, she was selected from a group of 360 players to join the national side, an opportunity that came years after her passion for the sport was formed.
Nilab Stanikzai. Source: SBS
“My brother was an invisible support behind my sports career, and he stood beside me as I progressed. He would often tell me to reach the highest that any Afghan player has reached so far."
Ms Stanikzai says she followed the Afghanistan men’s side and often celebrated aloud by "yelling at home no matter what time it was" when the team scored four and six runs.
"I genuinely have a crazy love for cricket," she says.
She remembers an occasion when her relatives found out she was playing cricket and attempted to put a halt to it, saying "…it was not good for girls to play".
Members of the Afghan women's cricket teams at a practice session in Australia. Source: SBS
In 2021, Afghanistan's then-president Dr Ashraf Ghani announced two international matches for the women’s team, against the Maldives and Oman.
This is when Ms Stanikzai says she had hope that "things were looking up".
“It was so unfortunate that the war intensified, the Taliban took over the country, and everything changed,” she says.
“Our national team was diverse and had girls from all provinces and ethnicities. I was at university when the Taliban entered Kabul. I was shocked and couldn't believe how things had unfolded so quickly, and it was hard to process everything.
“I lived under the Taliban for more than 20 days. As soon as they took over, we started getting threats, we didn’t know the people who were threatening us through messages and calls."
Leaving her homeland to resettle in Australia wasn't easy, she affirms.
“We left everything behind in our house and didn’t inform our relatives because we feared [information about the evacuation] mission might get leaked," she says.
In Australia, my life is perfect, but the hope and wishes I have for cricket are not currently here, no one has helped us so far, and no facilities have been provided to us.
“I wish that Afghan cricket players are given a chance to grow, get supported and find sponsors.
“My dream here in Australia is to join a cricket club and play for a big team in the Big Bash League."
Passion for cricket from a young age
Fellow national team player, Shafiqa Khan, 18, shares a passion for the sport and had done so since childhood.
“Before I joined the Afghan national cricket team, I played with my cousins; I was good at both bowling and batting and often heard from my cousins that one day I would play for the national team,” Ms Khan says.
Shafiqa Khan. Source: SBS
In January 2021, Ms Khan signed a contract to play for the national women’s team.
I was in Herat province when the Taliban took over. I was heartbroken and sad and said to myself that everything is finished. My dream and wishes had just been shattered.
She says it was clear from the outset that the Taliban wanted to "stop women’s progression" in both education and sport.
“When I was told that the Australian government supported us, I was so happy, and I couldn't believe at the beginning that I would be in Australia,” she recalls.
“I am thankful to the Australian government that they protected our lives and the lives of other cricket players and their families."
After arriving in October 2021, she says she hopes to continue her career on Australian soil.
All I want from the Australian government is to get their support in facilitating our cricket careers and to be able to play on international grounds.
“I will be very disappointed and heartbroken if I don't get the opportunity to play in Australia, but I believe I will reach my goals," she says.
A spokesperson for Cricket Australia tells SBS Pashto that a small group of Australians with cricket connections recently reached out to the organisation about "assisting with the resettlement of several players from the Afghan women’s cricket team and their family members".
“The safety of these players and their families has always been the main priority and we hope we have also played a part in making them feel welcome and supported, including by providing cricket gear and access to local cricket clubs and high-performance centres," the spokesperson says.
“We are excited that many of them have been back playing at club level and look forward to continuing to support them as they settle in Australia.”
When approached about the players' desire to continue their careers in Australia, a Home Affairs spokesperson said the department did not comment on individual cases.
However, the spokesperson said: "Over 5,000 Afghan nationals were provided safe passage to Australia on emergency subclass 449 visas since August 2021. Of these, over 3,000 have now been granted a permanent resident visa with a further 1,500 in process with the Department."
SBS Pashto understands that the department offers a wide-ranging suite of support services for refugees upon arrival and over subsequent months, including referral to mainstream and specialist support services and connections to local community groups and activities.
"As at 5 August 2022, since 17 August 2021, more than 47,900 humanitarian visa applications have been lodged in Australia by or on behalf of Afghan nationals and remain undecided, comprising of more than 211,100 applicants," the spokesperson added.
