South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, supports boycotting Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan. He aligns with British politicians urging England to avoid competing against Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s oppression of women’s rights since their resurgence in 2021.
England and South Africa, who share a group with Afghanistan in the One Day International tournament, are urged to boycott their matches. South Africa is scheduled to play Afghanistan in Karachi on February 21, but McKenzie has appealed to his nation’s cricket authorities to reconsider.
Read: UK Lawmakers Urge England Cricket Boycott Over Taliban Policies
McKenzie emphasized that he does not make the final decision but stated, “If it were my choice, we would not play. It’s hypocritical and immoral to ignore women’s oppression, given my Apartheid-era experiences,” he added.
Over 160 British politicians have endorsed a letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board, advocating for a boycott of England’s February 26 match against Afghanistan in Lahore.
ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould called for a unified stance from all ICC members regarding Afghanistan’s international participation.
Cricket South Africa has not yet responded.
Australia, set to play Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28, previously postponed a bilateral T20 series citing deteriorating conditions for women and girls under Taliban rule. However, they played Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in June.
