Nilab Stanikzai arrived in Canberra with little more than the clothes on her back.
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Having fled Afghanistan, the emerging cricketer and her family were granted humanitarian visas.
Stanikzai was a member of the national team and was one of a number of women's cricketers to be resettled in Australia following the Taliban's takeover.
While the move left her career up in the air, the 22-year-old has quickly found her feet in the Cricket ACT women's competitions.
Stanikzai was welcomed into the Tuggeranong Valley squad at the start of the summer and has produced a number of impressive performances with both bat and ball.
The all-rounder will look to continue the run when she turns out for her club this weekend, starting with a Twenty20 clash against Ginninderra on Saturday.
"It was my dream to play cricket in Canberra," Stanikzai said. "Now I play with Tuggeranong, it's a dream come true. I'm really happy to play for Tuggeranong.
"All the people at Tuggeranong are very nice. They are kind and friendly and they're like a family to me. My coach has been very supportive."
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Stanikzai's arrival in the ACT came after a top-secret effort to resettle members of the Afghanistan women's cricket team.
The players feared for their safety after the Taliban announced a ban on women's sport and most fled to Pakistan before they were eventually granted visas to travel to Australia.
The bulk of the 22 players are based in Melbourne, with a number in Canberra and the remainder spread across the nation. Like Stanikzai, most have been playing for local clubs throughout the past year.
Stanikzai had the chance to meet members of the Australian women's team while they were in Canberra for last Sunday's Twenty20 against Pakistan.
The cricketer has long looked up to the world champions and she was thrilled to have a conversation with her hero, Ellyse Perry.
"It was a dream come true to meet Australian players," Stanikzai said. "When I met my favourite player, Ellyse Perry, my heart was racing. I was very happy looking around at all the players and just stopped to take it in.
"Ellyse is a really good player and an experienced cricketer, in the future I hope to play like Ellyse Perry.
"She told me about her training every day, they go to the gym, the planning for cricket matches and gave me advice on this."
Already driven to play cricket at the elite level, Stanikzai's conversation with the Australian players further fuelled her desire to one day play with the likes of Perry and Meg Lanning.
The all-rounder is pushing for a place in the ACT Meteors squad, with the Women's Big Bash also on the horizon.
"I'm really happy my cricket is improving and I've learnt more about cricket and the different levels in Australia," she said.
"I'm grateful for the help joining a club in the ACT, I'd also like to play for the ACT team and also the [WBBL] clubs.
"I want to say thank you for the visa for me and my family, the move here saved my life. Thank you to every person who helped me get a visa, I'm very happy here. Also the help I had with cricket and joining a club, all Australian people have been really kind and like family."
While thriving in her new life in Australia, the situation in Afghanistan is constantly on Stanikzai's mind.
The cricketer still has family back home as the Taliban continues to clamp down on women's rights and freedoms.
That has increased the urgency for Stanikzai to help her relatives move to Australia.
"I want people to help me get a visa for my family because in Afghanistan the situation is really bad," she said. "I want to help them."
Meanwhile, Canberra City & Suburban Cricket Association will hold a memorial on Saturday for Ravi Srinivasan, who died while playing earlier in the summer.
Cricket ACT two-day round five
Saturday February 4, 10am: QUEANBEYAN v TUGGERANONG VALLEY at Freebody Oval, EASTLAKE v WESTON CREEK MOLONGLO at Kingston Oval, ANU v GINNINDERRA at ANU North Oval, WESTERN DISTRICT v NORTH CANBERRA GUNGAHLIN at Jamison Oval
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