The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed in a statement that they will play against Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy, despite the pressure to boycott the fixture in response to Taliban’s violation of women’s rights. (More Cricket News)
Plenty of stakeholders in the country have asked England to skip the game against Afghanistan, following the Taliban takeover who disbanded the women’s cricket setup in the country.
England will meet Afghanistan in a Group B fixture on February 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
“Today, the ECB Board discussed recent calls for England to boycott the forthcoming men’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan in the wake of the widespread violation of women’s rights in the country under the Taliban,” the statement said.
“The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), our England Men’s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan,” it added.
After an ECB meeting on Thursday, February 6, the chairman, Richard Thompson gave a green light for Jos Buttler’s men to go ahead with the fixture and also urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take a collective decision.
