I loved cricket when I was growing up in England, the home of the game, but don't remember any female participation in the sport. Now, I have nieces and nephews who play in mixed adult teams, and the women's professional game has developed in leaps and bounds.
The same is true at the top of the game. In 2017, the International Cricket Council, the sport's governing body, made the Afghanistan Cricket Board, a state-backed body, a full member on the understanding that the women's game would be developed -- with the council's help. In November last year, 40 Afghan female players were invited to a training camp organized by the ACB, and 25 were awarded contracts.
