The England and Wales Cricket Board has been urged to boycott subsequent month’s Champions Trophy match towards Afghanistan by a bunch of greater than 160 politicians, together with the likes of Nigel Farage, Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock.
The England males’s ODI facet are as a consequence of face Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26 however there are calls from Westminster for the ECB to refuse the fixture, taking a stand towards the Taliban regime’s assault on girls’s rights.
Feminine participation in sport has successfully been outlawed since their return to energy in 2021, a transfer that places the Afghanistan Cricket Board in direct contravention of the Worldwide Cricket Council’s guidelines.
With Afghanistan’s males nonetheless allowed to compete by the ICC, a strongly-worded letter has emerged from parliament pleading for the ECB to make its personal ethical objection.
Penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a large cross-party group from the Home of Commons and Home of Lords, it raises the “insidious dystopia” unfolding in Afghanistan.
The assertion, addressed to ECB chief govt Richard Gould, concludes: “We strongly urge the England males’s group gamers and officers to talk out towards the horrific remedy of ladies and ladies in Afghanistan beneath the Taliban.
“We additionally urge the ECB to think about a boycott of the upcoming match towards Afghanistan… to ship a transparent sign that such grotesque abuses is not going to be tolerated.
“We must stand against sex apartheid and we implore the ECB to deliver a firm message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls that their suffering has not been overlooked.”
Gould issued a swift response, reaffirming the ECB’s ideas whereas suggesting it favoured uniform method from all member nations quite than appearing alone.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he mentioned.
“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.
“Whereas there has not been a consensus on additional worldwide motion inside the ICC, the ECB will proceed to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide method could be considerably extra impactful than unilateral actions by particular person members.
“We acknowledge and respect the diverse perspectives on this global issue. We understand the concerns raised by those who believe that a boycott of men’s cricket could inadvertently support the Taliban’s efforts to suppress freedoms and isolate Afghan society. It’s crucial to recognise the importance of cricket as a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country.
“The ECB is dedicated to discovering an answer that upholds the rights of ladies and ladies in Afghanistan whereas additionally contemplating the broader affect on the Afghan folks. We are going to proceed to have interaction in constructive dialogue with the UK Authorities, different stakeholders, the ICC, and different worldwide cricket boards to discover all attainable avenues for significant change.”
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said: “We’re deeply involved by the appalling erosion of ladies and ladies rights in Afghanistan.
“While participation in the ICC Champions Trophy is a matter for the International Cricket Council and England and Wales Cricket Board, we are in contact with the ECB on the wider issue of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team.
“We welcome the truth that the ECB are making representations to the ICC on this wider difficulty and what assist may be given.”
The scenario brings again reminiscences of the 2003 World Cup, when Nasser Hussain’s England facet forfeited a recreation towards Zimbabwe in protest at Robert Mugabe’s regime, with politicians advocating for the transfer with out stepping in to make the choice on the squad’s behalf.
