Humaira Akhtar Ali, a 20-year-old student, was visiting her friend’s house a few weeks ago in Pakistan’s Swat district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when she learned about an opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to play in an organised cricket match with other girls on an outdoor public ground.
Ali, who is currently in her freshman year in Islamic studies at a local university, has been a passionate cricket fan since she was just five years old. However, she had only ever played the game with her cousins and siblings in her house — never outdoors.
