Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe Afghan female cricketers spoke to King Charles at Clarence House (Getty)Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricket team visited King Charles at Clarence House as part of their campaign for official international recognition and to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to sanction the Taliban. The team, forced into refuge after the Taliban’s 2021 ban on women playing sport, seeks the same status afforded to Afghanistan’s men’s team by the ICC, which would allow them to compete internationally. During their visit, the team met King Charles, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, and the UK’s special envoy to Afghanistan, pressing for the ICC to impose sanctions on the Taliban for their oppressive ban on women’s sport. Team members, including wicketkeeper Ekil Latifi and all-rounder Shabnam Ahsan, expressed their determination to represent Afghan women and fight for their right to play cricket, highlighting their role as a voice for those still in Afghanistan. The team, currently hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and supported by figures like Mel Jones, presented King Charles with a signed shirt and a decorated cricket bat, with the King expressing his support and wishing them success. In fullAfghanistan women’s cricket team meet King Charles in fight for official recognition after Taliban exclusionThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

The King welcomed members of the Afghan Refugee Women’s cricket team, who had to be smuggled out of the country after the return of the Taliban, at Clarence House today

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe Afghan female cricketers spoke to King…

The female Afghan sportspersons have no official recognition since the Taliban takeover, which has forced many of them to find asylum in other countries. | Cricket

🏏 This morning, The King welcomed the Afghan national women’s cricket team to Clarence House. The team was set up during the Afghan Republic in 2010, but lost recognition as a…