King Charles III has met members of Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team, offering a symbolic show of support to players who were forced into exile after the Taliban banned women from participating in sports.
The meeting took place at Clarence House, where the King welcomed the team and listened to their stories of fleeing Afghanistan to continue pursuing their passion for cricket.
“I’m so glad that you can pursue what you want to do,” the King told the players during the visit. The Afghan women’s cricket team is unable to officially represent Afghanistan due to Taliban restrictions on women’s sports.
Most of the players have since relocated abroad, with many now living as refugees in Australia. The royal meeting came as the team arrived in England to play a series of exhibition matches during the women’s T20 World Cup. Ekil Latifi, who left Afghanistan in 2021 at the age of 17 and has not seen her family in five years, said the team represents Afghan women who have been denied basic rights and opportunities.
“It’s all about the Afghan women back in our country,” Latifi said, adding that the team hopes to inspire those who are unable to participate in sports or pursue their dreams under Taliban rule.
She described cricket as more than a game, saying it had become her life and a symbol of resilience. “In life, you get one chance. In cricket, if you’re a batter, you might just bat once,” she said. Latifi expressed hope that one day the Afghan women’s team would be allowed to compete internationally under Afghanistan’s national flag, just as the country’s men’s team currently does.
Another player, Shabnam Snahsan, said it was heartbreaking that the team could not participate in the World Cup despite their dedication to the sport. “Back in Afghanistan, women don’t have the right to play cricket, to study, or even to move freely,” she said. “We’re here to play cricket, but we’re also here to speak for those women.
”During the visit, the players presented the King with a signed team jersey and posed for photographs in the Clarence House gardens. King Charles joked that he had played cricket once, “but not very well.
”The meeting served as both a recognition of the players’ determination and a reminder of the challenges faced by women and girls in Afghanistan, where restrictions continue to limit access to education, sports and public life. For the players, however, the ultimate goal remains unchanged: to one day represent their country freely on the international cricket stage.
