British lawmakers have called for England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan to protest the Taliban’s treatment of women.
Since reclaiming power in 2021, the Taliban have severely limited women’s and girls’ rights to education, work, and freedom of movement while enforcing strict dress codes.
They have also banned women and girls from sports and gyms, leading to the disbandment of the Afghanistan women’s team. Many team members fled the country after 2021.
England is scheduled to play Afghanistan on February 26 in Lahore.
More than 160 politicians signed a letter on Monday, urging England’s cricket players and officials to condemn Afghanistan’s policies on women and girls.
The letter advocates for the ECB to boycott the February 26 ICC Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan as a strong stance against these abuses.
ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould called for a uniform approach among ICC member nations regarding Afghanistan’s cricket participation.
Gould stated, “The ECB condemns the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women and girls. We commit to the ICC Constitution, which supports women’s cricket growth. Consequently, the ECB has refrained from scheduling bilateral matches with Afghanistan.”
He continued, “While the ICC has not agreed on further actions, the ECB will continue to push for these measures. A collective ICC response would be more impactful than actions by individual members.”
England faced Afghanistan in the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup.
Last year, Australia cancelled a T20 series with Afghanistan due to deteriorating human rights conditions for women.
