Explained: Why are politicians urging boycott of cricket matches against Afghanistan

By Prakhar Sachdeo

South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has asked Proteas to boycott its match against Afghanistan during next month’s Champions Trophy. “Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

South Africa are scheduled to open their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan in Karachi on Feb. 21 but McKenzie urged his country’s cricket governing body not to honour the fixture.

Earlier, a group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan. Over 100 British lawmakers signed a letter in this regard. The letter has been Penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn. 

England are scheduled to face Afghanistan in a group-stage match on Feb. 26 in Lahore, Pakistan.

Cricket Australia indefinitely postponed a bilateral men’s Twenty 20 series against Afghanistan last March. But they did play them at the World Cup in India in late 2023 and at the T20 World Cup last June.

England and South Africa are in Afghanistan’s group for the competition and under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women’s rights since returning to power in August 2021.

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on the rights of women and girls, restricting their access to education and work, curbing their freedom of movement, and forcing them to cover their faces and bodies.

Women and girls have also been barred from sports and gyms, a breach of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules. The Afghanistan women’s team was also disbanded, with several members fleeing the country after 2021.

In December last year, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, two of Afghanistan’s most famous cricketers urged the Taliban to reconsider their ban on women’s access to medical education and training. 

“Education holds a central place in Islamic teachings, emphasising the pursuit of knowledge for both men and women,” Rashid wrote in his post on social media platform X. 

“The Taliban’s decision to ban girls from studying medicine is not only heartbreaking but deeply unjust,” Nabi wrote in his post on X. 

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