Champions Trophy: ECB Confirms England Will Play Match Against Afghanistan

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England's men's team will play their scheduled ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 fixture against Afghanistan, scheduled on February 26 in Lahore, despite growing calls for a boycott due to the severe oppression of women's rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. ECB Chair Richard Thompson acknowledged the widespread concerns over gender discrimination in Afghanistan and emphasised the importance of a coordinated international response rather than unilateral action.

There have been increasing calls from various sections, including human rights activists and policymakers, for England to take a stand against Afghanistan's participation in the Champions Trophy by refusing to play their scheduled match.

The concerns stem from the Taliban's ban on women's cricket and broader restrictions on women's rights, which the ECB has termed "gender apartheid."

However, after careful deliberation, the ECB Board has decided that boycotting the fixture would not be the most effective way to address the issue. Instead, the board believes that a collective international effort from the cricketing community would have a greater impact.

"We remain of the view that a co-ordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match," Thompson stated.

He further pointed out that for many Afghan citizens, watching their cricket team play provides one of the few remaining sources of joy, underscoring the complexity of the situation.

While confirming England's participation in the match, the ECB reaffirmed its commitment to supporting female Afghan cricketers who have been displaced due to the Taliban's policies.

Last week, the ECB donated 100,000 pounds to the Global Refugee Cricket Fund, a joint initiative by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and its charitable arm, the MCC Foundation. This fund aims to assist refugee cricketers worldwide, including those from Afghanistan who have been forced into exile.

The ECB has also urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take stronger action, proposing measures such as allocating dedicated funds to support Afghan female cricketers in exile.

Recognising an Afghanistan Women's Refugee Team so that displaced players can continue competing internationally and creating pathways for Afghan women to take up coaching, administrative, and non-playing roles in the sport.

"The cricketing community cannot tackle all of Afghanistan's problems," Thompson acknowledged, "but we urge our international partners to stand together and demonstrate through our actions that we support the women and girls of Afghanistan."

Calls for England to boycott their match against Afghanistan gained momentum in early January following the submission of a cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The letter urged England to refuse to play in protest against the Taliban regime's suppression of women's rights.

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi emphasized that England's players should use their influence to drive change. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the government was engaging with international partners on the matter. However, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy later opposed a boycott, arguing that such actions are "counterproductive" and that the match should proceed.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) also rejected a request from a British Member of Parliament for the South Africa men's team to boycott their match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy. The CSA said the decision to ban Afghanistan has to be taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)