The ICC Champions Trophy 2025the prestigious international cricket tournament, scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, in a hybrid format co-hosted by Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. However, the event caused considerable controversy due to the current political situation in the Afghanistanespecially the Taliban’s oppressive stance on women’s rights. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) British MPs have called on them to reconsider their participation in the match against Afghanistan scheduled for February 26, 2025. The request follows the Taliban’s strict restrictions on women’s participation in sports and public life.
The influence of the Taliban on Afghan cricket
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, the regime has implemented laws that effectively ban women from participating in sports or public life. These actions drew widespread condemnation from international organizations, including International Cricket Council (ICC). The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has come under scrutiny for not following ICC regulations that require the inclusion of women in cricket development programmes. As a result, the Afghan national team’s participation in global tournaments such as the Champions Trophy has become a subject of heated debate.
Jos Buttler’s response to the boycott call
Considering the constant political pressure, the English captain, Jos Buttlerhe expressed his position on the matter. Speaking frankly, Buttler acknowledged the complexity of the situation, but emphasized that as a player he tries to be informed about political situations, but relies on experts for more knowledge. He was in communication with the CEO of the ECB Rob Key and others at the ECB to understand their perspective, and believes that a boycott is not the right approach.
“In political situations like this, as a player you try to be as informed as possible,” Buttler said. “The experts know a lot more about it, so I’ve been trying to stay in dialogue with Rob Key and the guys above to see how they see it. I don’t think a boycott is the way to do it,” Buttler told the reporter before the first T20I vs India.
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The players were focused on the game, not on politics
Buttler mentioned that the players were not overly concerned about political issues and focused on education. He read useful materials and consulted experts for their opinions. He emphasized that the players do not want politics to affect sports and expressed hope for a successful Champions Trophy tournament.
“The players didn’t really worry too much about it. You try to educate yourself and read about these things. There’s been some good stuff written about it that I’ve used and I’ve talked to quite a few people to try and gather expert opinion. As a player, you don’t want political situations to affect the sport. We hope to go to the Champions Trophy and play that game and have a really good tournament“, he added.
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