Funding is expected to be expanded to the women’s refugee team in Afghanistan.

Last year, the cricket boards of England, Australia and India, plus the International Cricket Council (ICC), announced a combined program to support players who were exiled after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Sources told BBC Sport that the working group responsible for the matter met during the governing body’s annual conference in Edinburgh and recommended the project should continue.

ICC Vice President Imran Khwaja will now formally present that recommendation at Saturday’s board meeting.

Officials from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have backed the proposal and it would be a big surprise if the ICC board did not approve it.

All three boards are also interested in the ICC playing a more substantial role in advancing the project with a share of the funding and resources.

Since settling in Australia, where they now live and train, Afghanistan’s players have repeatedly called on the ICC to once again recognize them as an international team and commit to long-term funding.

They are currently touring the UK and last month asked the ICC to give them a “clear answer” on what their future will look like.

An exact length of funding will be discussed at the board meeting, but it is understood there could be a commitment until 2032.

What is currently less clear is what the roadmap is for his prospects of playing official international matches.

BBC Sport understands that a formal document prepared by Clare Connor, chair of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, will also be presented to the ICC board for consideration.

That document includes a proposal for the governing body to allow the team to play official international cricket.

However, the issue is extremely complex and delicate for the ICC, so a clear decision may not be so simple.

The ICC understandably has a duty of care for officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board who report to the Taliban.

Similarly, there are also some concerns about the long-term implications this could mean for men’s cricket in Afghanistan.

However, the fact that the issue of official matches was raised at board level is considered a significant moment and would provide a basis for future conversations.

Afghan women met ICC president Jay Shah and other ICC officials at Lord’s ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup final on July 5 and a series of key speeches were said to have been well received by the influential figures present.

The ICC has also been quietly strengthening the structure around the project.

Last month, the ICC executive committee agreed to add a female representative to the working group, which had been largely made up of men, to consult on key decisions.

Additionally, they agreed that Pitch Our Future, an Australian campaign raising funds and support for the displaced Afghan women’s cricket team, will be consulted during future working group meetings to ensure players’ voices are adequately represented.