England urged to boycott Afghanistan match by British politicians

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 assault on women´s rights.

Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban´s return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in direct 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.”

“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he 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.