LONDON: A group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country’s cricket board (ECB) needed to take a stand against the Taliban’s crackdown on women.

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on the rights of women and girls, restricting their access to education and work, curbing their freedom of movement, and forcing them to cover their faces and bodies.

Women and girls have also been barred from sports and gyms, a breach of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules. The Afghanistan women’s team was also disbanded, with several members fleeing the country after 2021.

England are scheduled to face Afghanistan in a group-stage match on Feb. 26 in Lahore, Pakistan.

A letter signed by more than 160 politicians on Monday called for England’s players and officials to speak out against the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.

“We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy Group stage on February 26th to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated,” the letter added.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould responded by calling for a uniform approach from all member nations towards Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket.

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

“While there has not been a consensus on further international action within the ICC, the ECB will continue to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.”

England previously faced Afghanistan at the 50-overs Cricket World Cup in 2023, as well as at the Twenty20 World Cup in 2022.

Last year, Australia called off a T20 series against Afghanistan citing the deteriorating human rights situation for women.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2025