South African cricket is responding to the sports minister’s call to boycott Afghanistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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Cricket South Africa (CSA) they made an official statement after the invitation of the Minister of Sports Gayton McKenzie boycott their upcoming match against Afghanistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The minister’s advocacy comes in response to the ongoing suppression of women’s rights by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a controversial issue that has fueled debate within the cricket community worldwide.

The position of the South African Minister of Sports on Afghanistan

Minister McKenzie expressed strong moral reservations about playing against Afghanistan, drawing a parallel with South Africa’s history of apartheid, explaining his stance against discrimination in sport. He highlighted the hypocrisy of ignoring the plight of Afghan women while denouncing similar injustices faced by South Africans during apartheid.

“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done to women anywhere in the world,” McKenzie said as quoted by TOI.

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CSA responds to the minister’s call to boycott Afghanistan

In response, the CSA made it clear that while they acknowledge the abhorrent treatment of women in Afghanistan, the decision to participate in the Champions Trophy rests with International Cricket Council (ICC).

“CSA finds the ‘treatment and suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan abhorrent and strongly believes that women’s cricket deserves equal recognition and funding. Since the Champions Trophy is an ICC event, the position on Afghanistan must be guided by the world body in accordance with the requirements and regulations for participation in international tournaments,” stated the CSA.

Namely, the debate about the boycott of Afghanistan in international cricket is not new. Earlier, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) faced similar calls from British politicians, with more than 160 of them signing a letter urging England to boycott their match in support of women’s rights in Afghanistan. However, The ECB decided not to boycottinstead advocating a coordinated approach at the ICC level to address the issue more effectively.