New Delhi. The clouds of danger looming over the England vs Afghanistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy have dissipated. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected the request of its MPs to boycott this match. Many MPs of England say that this match should be boycotted in protest against the atrocities on women in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is ruled by Taliban, in which many rights of women have been abolished.
The ICC Champions Trophy will be played in Pakistan and UAE from 19 February to 9 March. The match between England and Afghanistan in the tournament is to be held in Lahore on 26 February. More than 160 leaders of England had written a letter to their cricket board requesting them not to play against Afghanistan. Those who wrote the letter include Labor MPs Tony Antoniazzi and Jeremy Corbyn.
The MPs have written in their letter, ‘We believe that the England cricket team should speak out against the atrocities on women in Afghanistan. It is important to send a message to Afghanistan that such atrocities will not be tolerated. Let us tell you that there have been only two matches between England and Afghanistan after 2021. Both these matches have been played in ICC events (World Cup).
Another problem for the Champions Trophy has been reduced with the ECB rejecting the appeal of its MPs. There have already been many controversies associated with this tournament being hosted by Pakistan. One of these was India’s decision not to go to Pakistan, after which it was decided to hold its matches in UAE.
Tags: Afghanistan Cricket, Champions Trophy, England cricket team
FIRST PUBLISHED : January 7, 2025, 5:55 PM IST