England will not boycott Afghanistan game despite Taliban ‘gender apartheid’ England have confirmed they will play Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy despite pressure to boycott the fixture in response to the Taliban’s violation of women’s rights in the country.
While Afghanistan are the only ICC full member not to run a programme for women’s cricket, recent diplomatic dialogue between the Indian government and the Taliban – talks which reportedly included strengthening sporting ties – means their removal from cricket’s top table is unlikely.
At a cricketing level, when women’s and girls’ cricket is growing rapidly around the world, it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further.
We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), 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.
Last month a cross-party group of 160 British MPs wrote to the England and Wales Cricket Board urging it to withdraw the men’s national team from their group stage match against Afghanistan in Lahore on 26 February.
