Woman cricketers in the relatively secure province of Kandahar in the country’s south said their bid from playing cricket is to say no to “unwanted traditions and cultures” in society.

According to local officials, Kandahar has 48 woman cricketers who play the game at a girls’ school in the province.

Members of a woman cricket team in Kandahar said by playing the famous game they want to overcome stand unwanted traditions and threats by militants. 

“Girls love this game very much,” Madina, a woman cricketer in Kandahar, said. “The problem is that they are not allowed by their families to play cricket. I hope their families stop putting pressure on them. We have a right too, same as boys, to improve and move on.” 

“As you see, we do not have a standard playground. We urge (government) to establish a playground for us to play in a better environment,” Maryam, another cricketer said. 

Another woman cricketer, Safa, said some girls are not allowed to go to school besides a ban on them to play cricket.

“There are some girls who are not allowed by their families to play any sport, especially cricket. Meanwhile, they are not allowed to go to school,” said Safa.

The girls said lack of equipment and a proper playground are the reasons that fewer girls are interested in sports, especially in cricket. 

“At this school, we are the first girls who started playing cricket. I am a coach. We have two teams, one is for elder girls and another is for younger girls,” Sahar, coach of a woman cricket team, said. “In total, there are 48 female cricketers. We have had little progress, because we were not paid attention and we do not have enough equipment.” 

Statistics by Kandahar Sports Department indicate that at least 100 girls play cricket and basketball in the province.