The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced in a statement on Thursday that it has decided to proceed with the Champions Trophy 2025 match against Afghanistan, despite calls for a boycott.
Multiple stakeholders in the country have urged England to skip the game against Afghanistan, a nation that disbanded its women’s cricket setup following the Taliban takeover.
“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.
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“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.
“Following this, we remain of the view that a co-ordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match,” the ECB added, confirming that the team will go ahead with the fixture.
England will take on Afghanistan in a Group B fixture on February 26, 2025, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
