New Delhi: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has responded to the demands of boycotting the ICC Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan. The England men’s cricket team is scheduled to face Afghanistan in a Group B fixture on February 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
As many as 160 politicians in England have requested the ECB to boycott the England-Afghanistan match to show a strong stance on the ongoing women’s right violations in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban.
Afghanistan women’s participation in sports has been stalled ever since the Taliban came back to power in 2021.
Political Pressure to Boycott Afghanistan Cricket Match
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote a letter to the ECB, which was signed by wide-cross party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords, as per the report by The Guardian. The letter highlighted the problem of ‘insidious dystopia’ and ‘sex apartheid’ happening in Afghanistan.
ECB CEO Richard Gould said the national sports body condemned the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan but affirmed on a uniform approach on all members of the ICC rather than a lone stand.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he said, as quoted by The Guardian.
“The ICC constitution mandates that all member nations are committed to the growth and development of women’s cricket. In line with this commitment, the ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan.”
“While there has not been a consensus on further international action within the ICC, the ECB will continue to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members,” Gould added.
England following Australia’s approach
Even though the Afghanistan women cricket team doesn’t function, the men’s team still continues to enjoy the full membership status under the ICC. The Afghanistan men’s team has continued to appear in all competitions organised by the ICC in the last three years.
The Australian men’s team has called off their bilateral series against Afghanistan to stand against the Taliban’s rule of denying women players from playing sports. However, the Australian men’s team has played against Afghanistan in events such as World Cup as seen in the 2023 World Cup in India and the 2024 T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies. England maintains to not play Afghanistan in bilateral series but will face them in ICC tournaments.
The ECB has responded to calls to boycott the England-Afghanistan ICC Champions Trophy match. While condemning the Taliban’s treatment of women, the ECB prioritises a unified ICC approach rather than unilateral action. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
