Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS) Afghanistan's captain Rashid Khan has stood out in support of the Afghan Women cricketers who are currently living in exile after fleeing their country due to the Taliban regime.

Rashid acknowledged the importance of women's cricket as part of full ICC membership ahead of Afghanistan's first match against New Zealand at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

“Women's team? Definitely. I feel that’s part of the criteria for being a full member. The ICC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board know best, but we love to see anyone representing Afghanistan on any stage. It’s a proud moment, and you’re representing your country," he said in the pre-match conference.

Rashid also accepted that, as players, they have limited powers, and the decision to allow the women's team to represent the country ultimately lies with the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

“But yes, ultimately the decision lies with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the ICC. As players, we don’t have much control and can only focus on what we can influence. In this situation, there’s little we can do, but our support is always there. The bigger decisions are made by those in charge, and they take it forward," Rashid said.

The Afghanistan cricket team performed well in the last T20 World Cup, which was held in 2024. Rashid's team reached the semi-final, where they lost against the runner-up South Africa.

Afghanistan is placed in a tough group D, where they will first take on New Zealand on February 8, and then they will move to Ahmedabad to face South Africa on February 11. Rashid's team will next travel to Delhi to face the UAE. The last World Cup semi-finalists will end their group stage with an encounter against Canada on February 19. The top two teams of their group will move to super 8 stage.

--IANS

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