Despite calls for a boycott due to Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government’s crackdown on women’s rights, England will play their scheduled ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 match against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26, the England Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday.
A group of British lawmakers had previously urged England to boycott the match, and South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie also supported the call. The situation is a sensitive one as many of Afghanistan’s former women cricketers, who had 25 contracted players in 2020, are now in exile in Australia after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
However, Richard Thompson, the ECB Chair, stated that after consulting with the government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the players, England would proceed with the match. He emphasized that the cricketing community cannot single-handedly solve Afghanistan’s broader issues.
“We believe that a coordinated international response from the cricketing world will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB,” Thompson explained. “We’ve also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of joy. Therefore, we confirm that we will play this fixture.”
The Taliban government has insisted that it respects women’s rights according to its interpretation of religious law and local customs, claiming such issues should be addressed internally.
Thompson noted that last week, Afghanistan’s exiled women cricketers were the first to benefit from a new refugee fund set up by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), with the ECB contributing £100,000 (around $124,350).
“We will continue to urge the ICC to allocate funding specifically to support female players from Afghanistan, ensuring they can continue to access the sport,” Thompson said. “Additionally, we believe the ICC should recognize an Afghanistan women’s refugee team and provide opportunities for displaced Afghan women in non-playing roles like coaches and administrators.”
Thompson further described the situation in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid” and lamented the denial of opportunities for Afghan women and girls, particularly as women’s and girls’ cricket is flourishing globally.
“It is heartbreaking that young girls in Afghanistan are deprived of the chance to play, while women’s cricket is growing so rapidly around the world,” he added.
