England will play their ICC Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan despite calls for the ECB to boycott the match.
A group of more than 160 politicians signed a letter encouraging England to boycott the game in Lahore on Wednesday 26 February and take a stand against the Taliban regime attack on women’s rights.
The participation of women in sports has been effectively illegally since the return of the Taliban to ruling in 2021, an action that places the cricket board in Afghanistan in direct opposition to ICC rules, the Cricket’s governing body.
ECB leader Richard Thompson described the situation in Afghanistan as “nothing less than gender apartheid”, which only a coordinated international response could be taken, not a one -sided withdrawal from the match.
“Today the ECB Board discussed the latest calls for England to boycott the next match of the men’s champions against Afghanistan, in the wider violation of women’s rights in the country under the Taliban,” Thompson said on Thursday.
“What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing less than gender apartheid. On a cricket level, when women’s crickets are growing rapidly all over the world, it is heartbroken that those growing in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but The terrible oppression of women and girls from the Taliban go much further.
“The Board admits that there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and heard carefully. We have been in close contact with the government, the International Council of Cricets (ICC), our men’s players in England and other parties Interested in discussing this issue, as well as considering how the ECB can best support those women who have fled Afghanistan.
“After that, we remain in the view that a coordinated international response from the cricket community is the appropriate way forward, and we will achieve more than any one -sided action from ECB in the boycott of this match, while we have also heard that for Many people ordinary Afghans, seeing their cricket team is one of the few sources of pleasure.
Look at every match from the ICC champions trophy in 2025 Live on Sky Sports between February 19 and March 9 or now.
