Afghanistan women’s cricketer Firooza Amiri has revealed that none of her teammates have been in contact with their country’s cricket board, and since arriving in Australia, the girls have not received any support from them, alleging the Afghanistan Cricket Board of turning a blind eye on them. The Afghan women’s hopes got some respite after the International Cricket Council announced the formation of a dedicated task force to support displaced Afghan women cricketers. The initiative, which is in partnership with BCCI, ECB and CA, will include a dedicated fund to give direct monetary help, ensuring that these players have the resources they require to continue pursuing cricket. “None of our players have been in contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and since arriving in Australia, we haven’t received any support from them. At this stage, we’re unsure if they will support us in the future, especially given the current political situation in Afghanistan,” Amiri said while speaking to Cricbuzz. The 25 contracted players of the ACB have been living in exile ever since the Taliban took over. The Afghan girls have an official platform called the ‘Pitch Our Future’ which helps in launching global awareness about their condition and the requirements to develop their game. “Pitch Our Future is the official platform of the Afghanistan Women’s National Cricket Team in exile. It was launched to raise global awareness and support for us, both as athletes and as individuals rebuilding our lives through cricket and education,” Amiri said. In January this year, the Afghan girls played a match against the Cricket Without Borders XI, an initiative to promote the game of cricket for young women, which Amiri has called a new beginning for her team in Australia. “After three long years of uncertainty, pain and silence, stepping back onto the field with my teammates, wearing the Afghan colours was incredibly emotional. It was a moment filled with pride, relief and deep gratitude,” Amiri said. After taking over Afghanistan for the second time four years back, the Taliban permitted women to attend universities, albeit in gender segregated classrooms, on the condition that they followed Islamic standards.