British politicians urge England to boycott Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan

LONDON: A group of more than 160 British politicians have called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott next month's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan as a stand against the Taliban regime's alleged assault on women's rights.

Female participation in sport has been restricted since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in contravention of the International Cricket Council’s rules.

The England men's ODI side are due to face Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26.

A wide cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and former leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn, called on the ECB "to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban."

Afghanistan are still allowed to compete by the ICC and ECB CEO Richard Gould responded by suggesting a uniform approach from all member nations is the best way forward.

"The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime," Gould said.

"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.

"While there has not been a consensus on further international action within the ICC, the ECB will continue to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members."

Afghanistan have become a greater force in white ball cricket in recent years, rising to eighth in the ODI world rankings.

They beat England at the 2023 ODI World Cup and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year, eliminating Australia in the process.