Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Afghanistan |
Role | Opening batter |
Domestic team information | |
Years | Team |
2022– | Fredericton |
Roya Samim is an Afghan women's cricketer,who currently plays for Canadian club cricket team Fredericton. She was expected to play for the Afghanistan women's national cricket team before the team was dissolved following the 2021 Taliban offensive.
Samim is an opening batter. [1] In 2019,she started campaigning for an Afghan professional women's team. [2] In December 2020,the Afghanistan women's national cricket team was recreated by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB),and Samim was one of 25 Afghan women given a contract to play. [3] She trained for eight hours a day with the other contracted players in Kabul. The team never played an official match, [1] as their first scheduled match against Oman was cancelled. [4] The team's captain was never announced,but Samim was a candidate for the role. [5]
After the 2021 Taliban offensive started,Samim travelled to Canada,with her two sisters. They left Afghanistan two days before the Taliban took control of Kabul, [1] [4] and one of Samim's brothers also joined them in Canada. [2] Once in Canada,Samim tried contacting the International Cricket Council (ICC) and ACB about getting her teammates out of Afghanistan,but received no response. [4] She has been supportive of the ICC's decision not to ban the Afghanistan men's team,despite calls to do so. [1]
In 2022,Samim was featured in an esports match for Afghanistan. The esports series was setup as a protest against the Afghan women's team being unable to compete. [2] [5] Samim started playing for Fredericton Cricket Club in June 2022, [1] and also worked with Cricket New Brunswick to form a women's provincial team. [6]
Aside from cricket,Samim worked as a mathematics teacher in Afghanistan. [4] As of 2021,she planned to study for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Canada, [4] and as of 2022,she worked as a settlement worker,helping other refugees. [2]
The Afghanistan men's national cricket team represents Afghanistan in international cricket. Cricket in Afghanistan has become a symbol of hope and resilience for many. The sport has not only provided entertainment but has also united a nation that has faced numerous challenges. The Afghanistan team has made significant strides on the international stage,showcasing the talent and determination of its players. Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid-19th century,but it was only in the early 21st century that the national team began to enjoy success. The Afghanistan Cricket Board was formed in 1995,becoming an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001 and a member of the cricket confederation,Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003. After nearly a decade of playing international cricket,on 22 June 2017 full ICC membership was granted to Afghanistan. Alongside Ireland,this took the number of Test cricket playing nations to twelve. In view of the persistent conflict and insecurity in Afghanistan,following this status,the team moved to a new home ground in Dehradun,in India. The current home ground of the Afghanistan Men's Cricket team is the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE.
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board is the official governing body of cricket in Afghanistan. It is Afghanistan's representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC) and was an associate member of ICC from June 2013 until becoming a full member in June 2017. Before that it was an affiliate member and has been a member of that body since 2001. It is also a member of the Asian Cricket Council.
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Roya Rahmani is an Afghan diplomat who served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States and non-resident ambassador to Mexico,Argentina,Colombia,and the Dominican Republic from December 2018 to July 2021. She is currently the Chair of the international advisory company in development finance —Delphos International LTD. She is also a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women,Peace,and Security,a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center,and a senior fellow for international security at the New America Foundation. From 2016 to 2018,she served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to Indonesia,first ever ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,and non-resident ambassador to Singapore.
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