(Reuters) - England will play their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan later this month, England's cricket board (ECB) said on Thursday, despite calls to boycott the game in response to the Taliban government's crackdown on women's rights.
Last month, a group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott the Champions Trophy group stage match against Afghanistan which will be held in Lahore on February 26.
South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie also supported calls for a boycott.
Afghanistan had 25 contracted women players in 2020, but most are now living in exile in Australia following the Taliban takeover of their country in August 2021.
However, ECB chair Richard Thompson said they would play the match after discussions with the government, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the players, adding that the cricketing community alone cannot tackle Afghanistan's problems.
"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," Thompson said in a statement.
"We have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture."
The Taliban say they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that they are internal matters that should be addressed locally.
Last week, Afghanistan's exiled women cricketers were named the first beneficiaries of a new refugee fund started by the Marylebone Cricket Club and Thompson said the ECB had donated 100,000 pounds ($124,350).
"We will continue to press the ICC to take further action, including ringfencing a meaningful portion of funding to support female players from Afghanistan to be able to access cricket," he added.
Thompson also said the ICC should consider recognising an Afghanistan women's refugee team while also supporting and developing displaced Afghan women "to thrive in non-playing roles" such as coaches and administrators.
"What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid," he said.
"At a cricketing level, when women's and girls' cricket is growing rapidly around the world, it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity."
($1 = 0.8042 pounds)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
