Thompson added: "We will continue to press the ICC to take further action, including ringfencing a meaningful portion of funding to support female players from Afghanistan to be able to access cricket and considering recognising an Afghanistan Women's Refugee Team, as well as supporting and developing displaced Afghan women to thrive in non-playing roles such as coaches and administrators.
England to face Afghanistan in Champions Trophy despite calls for boycott England will face Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy, despite widespread calls for them to boycott the match later this month.
"We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council, our England men's players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould subsequently wrote to the International Cricket Council condemning the "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan, where female participation in sport has been effectively outlawed since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
A cross-party group of more than 160 MPs and peers had signed a letter urging the England and Wales Cricket Board not to go ahead with the game on February 26 as a moral objection to the Taliban regime's ongoing assault on women's rights in the country.
