The England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England’s men’s team will play their schedule against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on February 26.
Despite growing calls for a boycott due to deteriorating women’s rights in the country under the Taliban regime, ECB has denied boycotting the fixture.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson acknowledged the concerns over gender discrimination in Afghanistan and emphasised the importance of a coordinated international response rather than unilateral action.
However, the ECB has termed it ‘Gender apartheid’ and added that boycotting the fixture would not be the most effective way to address the issue. Instead, the board believes that international coordination would have a greater impact.
“We remain of the view that a coordinated 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 said in a statement.
“We have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture.”
The Taliban say they respect women’s rights on the basis on their Islamic law and local customs and that they are internal matter that should be addressed locally.
Last week, Afghan’s exiled women cricketers were named the first beneficiaries of a new refugee fund started by the Marylebone Cricket Club and Thompson said the ECB had donated 100,000 pounds.
“We will continue to press the ICC to take further action, including ringfencing a meaningful portion of funding to support female players from Afghanistan to be able to access cricket,” he added.
Thomson also said the ICC should consider recognising an Afghan women’s refugee team while also supporting and developing displace Afghan women “to thrive in non-playing roles” such as coaches and administrators.
“What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid,” he said.
“At a cricketing level, when women’s and girls’ cricket is growing rapidly around the world, it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity,” concluded Richard Thompson.
As per England’s Champions Trophy schedule, their first match will be against Australia on February 22 at Gaddafi Stadium.
