England Cricket Players Urged to Boycott Afghanistan Match Over Taliban’s Women’s Rights Abuses

England’s men’s cricket players have been urged to take a stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy in response to the Taliban regime’s severe restrictions on women’s rights. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who led a cross-party letter signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott the match scheduled for 26 February in Lahore, Pakistan.

Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, women’s participation in sports has been effectively banned, and many female cricketers have fled the country. Antoniazzi emphasized that the players themselves hold the power to make a difference. “The power lies in the team. The power lies in the people that play the sport,” she told BBC Sport. “They have a huge standing in the world of sport and they do have an influence.”

The ECB has maintained a non-committal stance on the issue, stating that it will engage with the UK government, other cricket boards, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to explore avenues for change. ECB chief executive Richard Gould acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting that a boycott could inadvertently isolate Afghan society further. “Cricket is a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country,” Gould said.

However, Antoniazzi criticized the ECB’s response, arguing that it lacked backbone. “What about women? Where is the hope for the women?” she asked. “This is a bigger issue around sex-apartheid that I feel very strongly about.”

The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) described the issue as “extremely complex” and expressed its dismay at the treatment of women and girls under the Taliban regime. Meanwhile, veteran anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain has called on Cricket South Africa to challenge the ICC over Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket, drawing parallels to the apartheid era.

The ICC requires full member nations to have women’s cricket teams and pathway structures in place, but Afghanistan’s men’s team has continued to compete without sanctions. The Champions Trophy, featuring eight teams, will be held in Pakistan and Dubai from 19 February to 9 March. England, Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa are grouped together in Group B.