ECB urges ICC to take action against Afghanistan Cricket Board over Taliban abuse of women’s rights | Cricket news
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Gould has written to his counterpart at the International Cricket Council (ICC) urging the sport’s global governing body to consider taking action against the Afghanistan Cricket Board over the Taliban government’s treatment of women.
Earlier this week, a group of more than 160 politicians, including Nigel Farage, Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock, signed a letter encouraging England to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan and take a stand against the Taliban regime’s attacks on women’s rights.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on the ICC to “deliver its own rules” and Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said the match “should go ahead” to avoid punishing the England team, but suggested British dignitaries should ignore event.
“What is happening in Afghanistan is the worst violation of women’s rights anywhere in the world,” Gould wrote.
“The ECB has maintained its position not to schedule any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan. We hoped that when we raised this concern for two years, it would encourage the discussion to take further steps, but unfortunately, this has not been seen.
“While many of our domestic stakeholders continue to call for a boycott of our Champions Trophy competition, a coordinated approach led by the ICC would be far more effective than unilateral actions by individual members.
“We want to work with you and other members to find a solution that gives hope that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan can be restored.”
Gould also called on the ICC to urgently consider “imposing an immediate condition on the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s membership status to offer women’s cricket by a specified deadline” and to limit a “significant proportion” of the ACB’s funding until the women’s game is re-established.
Women’s participation in the sport has effectively been banned since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, a move that puts the ACB in direct conflict with cricket’s governing body’s rules.
The women’s cricket team fled the country, seeking refuge in Pakistan before being granted emergency visas to Australia, where most of them currently live.
Under Taliban rule, payments to the women’s side were cut off and the team received no communication from cricket chiefs despite repeated attempts to make contact.
Gould also called on the ICC to support the women’s team in exile “through funding and advocacy to enable them to compete as an Afghan refugee team”, a model adopted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2024 Paris Games.
In 2021, the ICC established a Task Force on Afghanistan to help influence change and monitor the situation in the country.
However, the entire committee was made up of all men, and after the 2023 meeting, cricket chiefs significantly increased Afghanistan’s budget without giving an update on the women’s team.
Another condition Gould outlined in his letter was: “Reform the existing Afghanistan Task Force to monitor and oversee this work, providing regular and objective assessment of the progress of the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
“This group could seek expert opinions on this topic, to improve skills and empower leaders to make informed and supported decisions.
“If we don’t take the actions that are in our power – while recognizing that much is beyond our control – we are all complicit in missing out on the privilege that comes with being a global leader in our sport.”
