The incredible story of Afghanistan's exiled women’s cricket team
The Taliban would kill them for daring to play “the gentlemen’s game”
It was a warm night in Kabul. Just days earlier, on August 15th 2021, the Taliban had seized control of the Afghan capital, and with it, the country. At around 4am Feroza Afghan, then a 17-year-old girl, crept through the silent streets, dodging Taliban soldiers. In all, it took her and her family three months to escape from Afghanistan, via nine hotels and 18 Taliban checkpoints. “If they found us, they would kill us,” Ms Afghan recalls. Her crime? She played cricket.
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This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “Batswomen v bigots”
Christmas Specials December 21st 2024
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