Why are there calls for England to boycott its cricket match against Afghanistan?

A cross-party group of more than 160 MPs has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott next month's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan.

A letter, penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, urged England's team to sit out the match - set for February 26 - as a moral objection to the Taliban regime’s ongoing assault on women’s rights in the country.

It was signed by the likes of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, and former Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock.

But what is the boycott really about, and why are so many MPs against the match? ITV News explains.

When and where will the match be held?

As it stands, England is set to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan on February 26.

The Champions Trophy is a 15-match event that consists of eight teams going head-to-head over 19 days. This year it will take place across Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Why is there criticism?

In a post on X on Monday, Ms Antoniazzi, who is the MP for Gower in southwest Wales, said she has written to the ECB urging it to "speak out against the Taliban's unconscionable oppression of women and girls".

Female participation in cricket has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in direct contravention of the International Cricket Council’s rules.

International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations state full membership is conditional upon having women's cricket teams and pathway structures in place.

However, Afghanistan's men's team have been allowed to participate in ICC tournaments, seemingly without any sanctions.

The letter, addressed to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, says: “We strongly urge the England men’s team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

“We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan… to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not 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.”

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What has the Prime Minister said?

Sir Keir Starmer has weighed in on the row over the match, calling on the ICC to "deliver on their own rules" when it comes to women's rights in Afghanistan.

“The ICC should clearly deliver on their own rules and make sure that they’re supporting women’s cricket as the ECB do,” a spokesperson for the PM said on Wednrsday.

“That’s why we support the fact that the ECB are making representations to the ICC on this issue.

“The erosion of women and girls’ rights by the Taliban is clearly appalling. We’ll work with the ECB on this issue, we’re in contact with them. Ultimately this is a matter for the ICC in relation to the Champions Trophy.

“We should remember that Afghanistani cricket for a long time has been a beacon of hope for the Afghanistani people, it’s terrible the way in which the women’s team has been suppressed.

“This issue in relation to the erosion of women’s and girls’ rights by the Taliban is clearly a bigger issue than cricket. The focus here shouldn’t be on the cricketers, but on the Taliban.”

The ICC did not immediately respond to ITV News' request for comment.

What has the ECB said?

ECB chief executive Richard Gould issued a swift response, reaffirming the ECB’s principles while suggesting it favoured uniform approach from all member nations rather than acting alone.

“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he said.

He said the ECB has no intention of engaging in a bilateral series with Afghanistan while the Taliban regime is in power.

“While there has not been a consensus on further international action within the ICC, the ECB will continue to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.

“The ECB is committed to finding a solution that upholds the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan while also considering the broader impact on the Afghan people."

Has anyone else spoken out?

One of Afghanistan’s first female Olympians has also called on England to boycott the match.

Friba Rezayee, who competed in judo at the 2004 Athens Games, said female Afghan cricketers and athletes in other sports were being treated “as if they didn’t exist” by the Taliban regime.

“Afghan female athletes need your support to be able to practise (their) right to play sports,” Rezayee wrote in a letter seen by the PA news agency.

“We exist. But we are treated (as) if we didn’t exist. Women’s teams remain invisible and unworthy. Sadly, most of our female athletes and teams have been left behind. They’re in hiding, terrified of the deadly consequences of being found.”

She echoed the call from Downing Street for the International Cricket Council to “deliver on its own rules”.

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