Government MPs urging England to boycott Champions Trophy clash with Afghanistan

Government MPs urging England to boycott Champions Trophy clash with Afghanistan (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Mega cricket event Champions Trophy 2025 is looming on the horizon, there have been many discussions about the tournament. From the venue to the Indian team refusing to travel to Pakistan for the matches, the CT 2025 has been one of the most talked about competitions in recent months.

However, ahead of the tournament, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has been urged to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan by a group of more than 160 politicians. It is worth noting that England is all set to Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26. However, there have been calls from Westminster to the ECB to refuse the fixture.

The reason for this was the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights. Female participation in sports has been outlawed under the Taliban’s rules in Afghanistan. The letter was written by MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a wide cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords.

“We strongly urge the England men’s team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban. We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan, to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated,” the letter stated.

ECB strongly condemns treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan: Gould

Replying to the issued letter, ECB CEO Richard Gould reassured the ECB’s principles but also suggested that they would prefer a uniform approach by every team, and not just act alone. Besides, he also pointed out that the ICC members should remain committed towards the development of women’s cricket which also includes Afghanistan.

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“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” Gould was quoted as saying by The Roar.

“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,” he concluded.

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