England’s upcoming Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan should go ahead despite calls for a boycott over the Taliban’s treatment of women, according to a senior British government minister. A group of more than 160 British politicians have called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to refuse to play Afghanistan in protest at the women’s sports policy of the Taliban. Since returning to power in 2021 the Taliban have effectively banned female participation — a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board at odds with International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.

The ICC, however, have allowed the Afghanistan men’s team to continue to compete in global competitions, with England due to face them in the one-day international Champions Trophy in Lahore on February 26.

And Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy said the match should be played amid concerns a boycott would see England docked points were they to forfeit the game.

“I do think it should go ahead,” Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC on Friday.

She added: “I’m instinctively very cautious about boycotts in sports, partly because I think they’re counterproductive.

“I think they deny sports fans the opportunity that they love, and they can also very much penalise the athletes and the sports people who work very, very hard to reach the top of their game, and then they’re denied the opportunities to compete.

“They are not the people that we want to penalise for the appalling actions of the Taliban against women and girls.”

The ECB have resisted calls for a boycott, with chief executive Richard Gould saying instead he would “actively advocate” for collective action by the ICC instead.

That position has been backed by Downing Street, with a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging the ICC to take the lead on the issue.

South Africa, who are also due to play Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy, have backed the ECB’s stance.

This is despite veteran anti-apartheid campaigner and British politician Peter Hain, who played a key role in sparking his native South Africa’s sporting isolation during the 1970s,calling for a boycott.

“We are of the view that a more unified and collective approach from all ICC members will be more impactful,” said Cricket South Africa president Rihan Richards.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week, in a shakeup following Shanto’s request to step down from all-format captaincy. The decision came after a discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday following Bangladesh’s recent Test in Chattogram. Though Shanto will lead the squad against Afghanistan, the BCB has yet to announce a long-term decision on his captaincy or the squad for the West Indies tour later in November, where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

As Shanto’s vice-captain for the Afghanistan series, Mehidy Hasan Miraz is seen as a leading candidate for future captaincy, with Taskin Ahmed also considered a strong option. Both players are in the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series and have shown leadership potential. Taskin, with his pace and experience, has been a mainstay in Bangladesh’s bowling attack, while Miraz’s all-round abilities make him a versatile asset.

The 22-year-old uncapped pacer Nahid Rana is set to make his debut in the ODI format. Known for his impressive pace and bounce, Rana has taken 26 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 16.46, adding fresh talent to the squad. Also returning to the team are opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Zakir, who has played a single ODI and 12 Tests, will add depth to the top order, while Nasum brings spin options, having last represented Bangladesh in the 2022 World Cup.

The squad, however, will be missing a few key names. Shakib Al Hasan, one of Bangladesh’s star players, has voluntarily stepped down from consideration for this series. Litton Das, sidelined by a fever that kept him out of the recent Chattogram Test, is also unavailable. Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Hasan Mahmud, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will not join the team either.

The Bangladesh squad will depart for Dubai in two groups over the weekend, with matches scheduled for November 6, 9, and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh’s ODI squad

Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced it will continue to play bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan despite increasing calls for a boycott due to the Taliban’s oppressive policies towards women in the country. This includes criticism from lawyers for human rights, who urged CSA to sever ties with Afghanistan as a stand against the regime’s harsh restrictions on women, including banning them from participating in sports. CSA, however, has taken a more measured approach, stating that punishing Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team for the Taliban’s policies would be unjust. In a statement released on Thursday, CSA emphasised its commitment to gender equity while also pointing out that penalising Afghan cricketers – many of whom had no part in the government’s decisions – would not contribute meaningfully to improving women’s rights in Afghanistan.

“CSA remains mindful that gender equity should never come at the expense of one gender over another,” the statement said. “We recognise that advocating for the advancement of one gender should not undermine the rights of the other. CSA believes there is no justification for subjecting Afghan cricket players – both male and female – to secondary persecution for the actions of the Taliban. We will continue to engage with member countries within the formal structures of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to address this matter.”

CSA’s stance aligns with the ICC’s approach, which has been hesitant to sanction Afghanistan despite their failure to field a women’s cricket team. The ICC is reportedly concerned that forcing the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to form a women’s team could lead to dangerous repercussions from the Taliban, including potential harm to the players involved. This complex situation has made the global governing body cautious in its response.

In contrast, Cricket Australia has taken a more direct stance, refusing to play Afghanistan in protest of the regime’s human rights abuses. However, CSA believes such actions are unlikely to bring about meaningful change. “Gender advocacy in cricket should never be advanced by meting out punishment on innocent cricket administrators and players for the misdemeanours of a regime that stands to lose nothing from that punishment,” CSA explained.

CSA’s position is rooted in its own history. South Africa was banned from international sport from 1970 as part of a global response to the apartheid regime. This period of isolation, while a key part of the anti-apartheid movement, did little to alter the regime’s policies at the time. Many believe that economic sanctions, rather than sporting boycotts, were the true tipping point for change in South Africa. This parallel has framed CSA’s stance on Afghanistan, as they seek to avoid penalising athletes for the actions of their government.

Adding further context, CSA acknowledged the progress Afghanistan’s cricket board had made in promoting women’s cricket before the Taliban took power in 2021. In 2020, the ACB pledged contracts to 25 female cricketers, and plans were underway for a women’s team to compete internationally. However, the Taliban’s ban on female participation in sports halted these efforts. Many of the female players are now in exile in Australia and have called on the ICC to establish a refugee team for them.

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has also weighed in on the issue, supporting the promotion of women’s cricket and urging CSA to leverage its position to advocate for Afghan women’s rights. South Africa’s ODI captain, Temba Bavuma, has echoed these sentiments, describing women’s rights as something that aligns strongly with his values.

South Africa and Afghanistan are currently engaged in a three-match ODI series in the UAE, which was not part of the original Future Tours Programme (FTP). The series, sought by both CSA and the ACB, aims to prepare both teams for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Afghanistan claimed victory in the first match by six wickets, with South Africa’s captain Bavuma missing the game due to illness. The second and third matches are scheduled on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

File photo of Spain cricket team.© X/@Cricket_Espana

With the dream of once again donning the Afghanistan jersey at the international level, 17 women cricketers from the country living in self-imposed exile in Australia have written to the ICC to help set up a team, which was disbanded after the Taliban takeover in 2021. While the Afghanistan men’s team has set new benchmarks and recently made it to the T20 World Cup semifinals for the first time, the women players, who were contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board before the Taliban takeover, sought refuge in Australia, where they hope to set up a refugee team and play international cricket.

In a letter written to the global governing body, the women cricketers praised the splendid performance of the men’s team in the T20 World Cup but rued that they were not getting opportunities to flourish.

“We, the formerly contracted players of the Afghanistan women’s team, are proud and excited by the achievements of Afghanistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and wish to congratulate Rashid Khan and his team on reaching the semi-finals,” the letter, written on June 29 stated.

“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers.” The Afghanistan government has stringent rules for women and they are not allowed to indulge in sports activities.

“As former Afghan cricketers now living abroad, we are unable to represent the Afghanistan women’s national team. We are asking the ICC to assist us in setting up a refugee team in Australia,” the letter added.

The players have suggested that the team can be administered through the East Asian Cricket office, which is based at Cricket Australia. They, however, acknowledged that “due to the government policies of Afghanistan and the Afghanistan Cricket Board, the ICC cannot recognise them as a national team of Afghanistan”.

“Through this team, we aim to represent all Afghan women who dream of playing cricket but are unable to in Afghanistan.” The players have said that their proposed team would be the one “without borders” and would draw attention to the challenges being faced by women players in Afghanistan.

“Creating a team of Afghan refugees can give us a chance to play, coach and administer a cricket team without borders. The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner,: the players said in their letter.

“Our goals in having a refugee team is to develop and showcase our talent, give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan, and to draw attention to the challenges women of Afghanistan face.”