TRANSCRIPT
For Nahida Sapan and Firoza Amiri, playing the sport they love is now too dangerous in their home country, Afghanistan.
Firoza says she feels lucky that her parents have always been supportive of her sporting ambitions.
"Once Taliban took over the country, I lost everything I could say. I lost hope. I lost my life. Everything. I tried so hard for it . I didn't know that I'm going to get a chance to get out of Afghanistan during my time in Afghanistan. There's not lots of women who play sport in Afghanistan, which was something very new. And my family been always very supportive to me."
After the Taliban regained power three-and-a-half years ago, women were banned from participating in many aspects of public life, including sport.
Since then, 22 of the 25 contracted players for the national women's cricket team have fled to Australia.
And now they're set to play their first match as a team again.
Player Nahida Sapan says the game means a lot to the team.
"Yes it very special to them. Because when we play and when people support us, this can change everything for Afghan women. They can change our mind for the future... like a shiny future. They can do everything for our future so yeah its very special for me and all Afghan women."
Like many of their team mates, Firoza and Nahida are balancing work and study all while fighting for the right to represent their country in cricket.
Nick Hockley is Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Australia.
He says the organisation is doing what it can to support the cricketers.
"Again, we're just committed to doing everything that's within our control to make a difference. I think it's a really complex situation and you have to draw a line somewhere. But hopefully through the position that we've taken, the way we've advocated around the ICC and then the support for the Afghanistan women's team that's in Australia, we are doing what's in our control."
The team says it's received no support from the International Cricket Council.
After the Afghanistan men's team defeated Australia in last year's T20 World Cup, they called on the I-C-C to help them start a refugee team here.
"We left Afghanistan just to play cricket. we start a new beginning of cricket here. and we expected the ICC to reach out to us. we sent a couple of letters to ICC and we never got a response from them."
While Australia refuses to play the Afghanistan men in fixtures they organise, the teams are set to clash in next month's Champions Trophy.
As the Afghanistan women bat for their future at Melbourne's Junction Oval, their message is clear from Firoza.
"I start a completely new life. So today, Afghan 11 team are here to represent them. So I just want to say to all the young women that they are in Afghanistan, just keep dreaming. Just keep achieving. You have the right to dream, you have the right to achieve, and you have the right to be equal."
