The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected calls to boycott England’s Champions match against Afghanistan as a moral stand against the Taliban’s abuse of women. England had been encouraged by British MPs to boycott their Champion Trophy match against Afghanistan. The ECB has told that their men’s team will not boycott their fixture against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy 2025. The ECB statement comes in response to calls from a group of British politicians for England to boycott the match in protest against the ruling Taliban government’s effective outlawing of rights of women. England cricket team are due to face against Afghanistan on 26th February 2025 in their second match of the champions Trophy.
As England are already not playing any bilateral cricket with Afghanistan as a virtue protest against the issue. The last ODI match between the England and Afghanistan was in the World cup 2023 in which Afghanistan recorded a popular 69-run win over England. Chief executive of ECB Richard Gould has told that while its policy on bilaterals continues to be same, it will be playing Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy as the tournament is an ICC event.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” Gould wrote.
“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,” Gould added.
“We acknowledge and respect the diverse perspectives on this global issue,” He added. It is critical to identify the importance of cricket as a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country.
“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.”
