‘We’re here to fight for them’: King Charles backs exiled Afghan women cricketers, sends strong message to Taliban

King Charles meets exiled Afghan women cricketers

In a powerful gesture of solidarity, King Charles III welcomed Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricket team to Clarence House on Wednesday, offering public support to a group of athletes who are no longer permitted to represent their homeland under Taliban rule.The meeting came as the players, most of whom fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, arrived in England for a series of exhibition matches alongside the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup.For the Afghan cricketers, the royal audience was about much more than cricket.

‘It’s all about the women back home’

The players used the occasion to highlight the plight of Afghan women, who continue to face sweeping restrictions on education, employment and sports under the Taliban regime.Ekil Latifi, who escaped Afghanistan during the 2021 evacuations at the age of 17 and has not seen her family in five years, said the team carries the hopes of countless women still trapped by the restrictions.“It’s all about the Afghan women back in our country,” Latifi said, stressing that every appearance by the team is a reminder of opportunities denied to women in Afghanistan.She added that cricket had become more than a sport for her—it was a symbol of resilience and perseverance.

King Charles’ warm welcome

The King appeared deeply interested in the players’ stories, asking about their journeys out of Afghanistan, their families and the challenges they faced as female athletes.“I’m so glad that you can pursue what you want to do,” King Charles told the team.Keeping the mood light, the monarch joked: “If you lose, you can blame me for interrupting your training.”The players later presented him with a signed team jersey and pinned an Afghan Women’s XI badge onto his suit during a photo session in the Clarence House gardens.

A team that isn’t allowed to exist

The Afghan women’s cricket team occupies a unique and heartbreaking position in world sport. While Afghanistan’s men’s team continues to compete internationally, the women’s side has effectively been erased from official cricket under Taliban policies banning women’s participation in sport.Most squad members have since rebuilt their lives abroad, with many settling in Australia as refugees. Despite their displacement, they continue to train and play, hoping one day to return to international cricket under Afghanistan’s flag.

‘We’re here to fight for them’

Team member Shabnam Snahsan expressed disappointment at being unable to participate in the Women’s T20 World Cup because the team lacks official recognition.“Back in Afghanistan, women don’t have the right to play cricket, even to go out, to study or anything,” she said.“We’re here to play cricket, but it’s not just cricket. We’re here to fight for them, and this has meant a lot for us.”One of the lighter moments of the meeting came when Latifi, who is learning English, put the King on the spot by asking him to teach her a “posh” word.Suggesting “lavatory” as an example, she left the monarch briefly speechless before he laughed and replied: “I’d need advance warning of that.”The exchange drew smiles, but the team’s broader message remained clear: their struggle extends beyond the boundary rope.

More than cricket

For the Afghan Women’s XI, the royal meeting represented international recognition of a fight that has become symbolic of the wider struggle for women’s rights in Afghanistan.While they continue to play exhibition matches far from home, their ultimate dream remains unchanged—to compete officially on the world stage and represent Afghanistan once again under their own national flag.And with King Charles publicly standing alongside them, their call for visibility and equality has gained one more influential voice.