England are in Group B with Afghanistan, South Africa and Australia for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly rejected a demand made by a group of British lawmakers for the England cricket team to boycott their match against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has restricted women's and girls' rights, limiting their access to school and employment, restricting their freedom of movement, and requiring them to cover their faces and bodies.
Women and girls have also been excluded from sports and gyms, in violation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines. The Afghan women's squad was also dismantled, with numerous members leaving the country after 2021.
England's group-stage encounter against Afghanistan is slated for February 26 in Lahore, Pakistan.
A statement signed by over 160 MPs on Monday urged England's players and officials to speak out against the mistreatment of women and children in Afghanistan.
"We strongly urge the England men's team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban. We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan… to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated.
We must stand against sex apartheid, and we implore the ECB to deliver a firm message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls that their suffering has not been overlooked," a letter, written by Labor MP Tonia Antoniazzi to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, read.
ECB chief Richard Gould issued a swift response, reaffirming ECB principles while suggesting it favored a uniform approach from all member nations rather than acting alone.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. 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.
A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members. The ECB is committed to finding a solution that upholds the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan while also considering the broader impact on the Afghan people. We will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the UK Government, other stakeholders, the ICC, and other international cricket boards to explore all possible avenues for meaningful change,” Gould said as per BBC report.
Individual cricket boards manage bilateral matches, but events such as the Champions Trophy are run by the International Cricket Council, and England is set to meet Afghanistan as scheduled.
England has faced Afghanistan three times in one-day and T20 internationals, all at ICC competitions, and lost their most recent encounter at the 2023 50-over World Cup.
From February 19 to March 9, Pakistan, along with Dubai, will host the eight-team Champions Trophy. Australia and South Africa join England and Afghanistan in Group B, while Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh form Group A.