Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
The England and Wales Cricket Board rejected calls for the national team to boycott an imminent match against Afghanistan over the Taliban’s draconian laws on women’s rights.
England cricket chiefs said they would prefer a unified response from cricket countries and administrators. England are due to play Afghanistan at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next month, but have been urged by more than 160 UK politicians to forfeit the match.
Afghan women have been effectively outlawed from sport since the Taliban’s return in 2021, and some female cricketers have since fled the country over safety concerns.
The men’s cricket team have continued playing in tournaments, even though international regulations state that membership is conditional on having women’s cricket teams in place.
If England forfeit the group game they would probably need to beat Australia and South Africa to reach the semi-finals.
The match is scheduled to take place in Karachi’s Gaddafi Stadium – named after the former Libyan dictator.
