A group of British politicians has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott the upcoming Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan, in protest against the discriminatory treatment of women under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
The call for the boycott was made due to ongoing concerns about the treatment of women in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Under their regime, women’s access to secondary, higher secondary, and higher education has been restricted, and their participation in various areas of society has been severely limited. Most notably, the participation of women in sports has been entirely banned, halting the formation of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team.
In response to the petition, ECB’s CEO Richard Gould rejected the request for a unilateral boycott. He emphasized that collective action under the leadership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) would be a more effective response than individual actions.
On February 26, England is scheduled to face Afghanistan in their second match of the Champions Trophy in Lahore. The request for a boycott came in a letter to the ECB signed by over 160 members from various political parties, including Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi. The letter urged the ECB to consider the situation of women in Afghanistan and take a stand by boycotting the match, sending a clear message against the abusive behavior of the Taliban government.
The letter stated: “We strongly urge the England men’s team and officials to speak out against the appalling treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban.” It further urged the ECB to consider the boycott as a way to send a strong message that such abuses of power will not be tolerated and called for standing against gender and racial discrimination.
In his response, Richard Gould acknowledged that the ECB strongly condemns the treatment of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule. However, he maintained that the decision on whether or not to play against Afghanistan in ICC events is not solely for the ECB to make. “The ECB has maintained its stance on not playing bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan while the Taliban remains in power,” he said, adding that the ICC’s collective efforts would be more effective in addressing the issue.
The ECB also affirmed its continued support for actions against such regimes but stressed that collective international pressure through the ICC would have a greater impact than individual actions.
