Afghanistan's female cricketers play an exhibition match at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, with the players hoping to "open doors" for women in the country.

In 2016, moments after speaking on a TV interview about the dangers of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, Zia Danesh’s car was bombed on his way home.

Afghanistan's women cricketers on Thursday played their first game since fleeing the Taliban three years ago, a charity match in Australia that captain Nahida Sapan said she hoped would spark "a movement for change".

For Afghanistan's women cricketers, their first competitive match since escaping oppression in their home country represents a significant step in their sporting journey - although the path ahead may not be the one they envisaged before.