U-19 World Cup: Afghan cricketers refuse to return home, seek asylum in London

Afghanistan U19 World Cup team members have refused to return home and fled to London where they have sought asylum

Afghanistan finished fourth in the Under-19 World Cup. This was the highest finish at a global cricket event for Afghanistan at any age level.

Afghan news outlet Pashtovoa reported that members of the Afghanistan cricket board confirmed that some players had landed in the UK after taking part in the Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies. They decided not to return to Afghanistan.

The names of the players and the cricket board staff who have applied for asylum in the UK have not been released. It was not immediately clear why they refused to return to Afghanistan.

This is the first time since the arrival of the Taliban in Afghanistan that an Afghan cricketer and board member have sought asylum in a foreign country.

This is however not the first time that an Afghan under-19 player has not returned to the country. A few years ago, five or six Afghan athletes applied for asylum in Canada.