Afghanistan cricketer Firooza Amiri has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for what she says is a lack of support after members of the women’s national team had to flee to Australia.

Female participation in sport in Afghanistan has effectively been outlawed since 2021 when the Taliban returned to power.

Shortly after, more than 20 members of the country’s national women’s team fled the country.

“Cricket Australia have done more for us than the ICC have,” Amiri told BBC Test Match Special during the second one-day international of the Women’s Ashes in Melbourne.

“They have always pushed to keep hope alive for us. We’ve sent many messages asking for help because we’ve sacrificed so much to be here.

“We came to a new country as young people and we expected the ICC to do much more for us but they did nothing and we haven’t heard from them since we have been here.”

In a statement last week, the ICC said “it remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan”.

Amiri had to leave many of her friends in Afghanistan but her parents were able to join her, and she had to learn English in order to get herself a job.

The team asked the ICC if they would be allowed to play as a refugee side when they first fled, which has not been approved.

They are playing in an exhibition match against a Cricket Without Borders XI before the Women’s Ashes Test match in Melbourne on 30 January and Amiri hopes it can send a message to women who have lost their rights in her home country and around the world.

“Cricket can break boundaries, so we want to keep hopes alive – we want to play and educate,” she added.