Champions Trophy 2025: More than 160 politicians from the United Kingdom have called for England to refuse to play the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month after signing a letter. They demanded that the board make a bold statement against the rampages on the rights of women by the Taliban regime by boycotting the men’s one-day international against Afghanistan scheduled to be played next month in Lahore, Pakistan on 26 February.
Since the ICC does allow Afghanistan’s men’s team to compete, the U.K. lawmakers wrote a strong letter that urges the ECB to make its own moral stance. The letter, drafted by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who was joined in signing it by politicians across the political spectrum including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn had condemned “the insidious dystopia unfolding under Taliban rule.”.
A Powerful Letter Calling For Moral Action
The letter, addressed to ECB chief Richard Gould, calls upon the politicians to call upon England’s players and officials to speak out against the brutal treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan. The ECB is also called upon to consider boycotting the match as a clear message that these abuses will not be tolerated.
“We must stand against sex apartheid,” the letter reads. “We urge ECB to deliver a message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls, showing them that all this suffering won’t be forgotten.”
This was responded to by Gould, who reiterated the ECB’s principles but informed them that a coordinated approach had to emanate from all member countries of the ICC. “The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he said. “We believe that a coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be more effective than individual actions.”
ECB’s Response: Advocating For Coordinated ICC Approach
However, Gould also added that those people who feel that by boycotting cricket, they will be adding fuel to the fire of making the Taliban further push Afghan society towards isolation. In cricket, he observed that it does give hope both to the people displaced and to those without one.
England’s 2003 Forfeit Against Zimbabwe
It’s now in the year 2003 when England forfeited their game against Zimbabwe for the Cricket World Cup protest against the Robert Mugabe regime. Now, sports are sure to rise for human rights cause.
