England cricket captain Jos Buttler has voiced his support for playing England’s scheduled Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan on February 26th in Lahore, despite calls for a boycott over the Taliban regime’s suppression of women’s rights.
A group of over 160 British politicians has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to withdraw from the match, citing the Taliban’s policies that effectively exclude women from sports and public life. These restrictions violate the principles of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which mandates gender equality in member nations’ cricket governance.
Buttler’s Stance
Speaking ahead of England’s T20 series against India, Buttler emphasized the need to separate sports from politics:
“I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it. Certainly, as a player, you don’t want political situations to affect sport. We hope to go to the Champions Trophy, play that game, and have a really good tournament.”
The England captain also stated that he has remained in discussions with ECB leadership to stay informed about the broader situation.
ECB’s Response
The ECB has resisted calls for a boycott. Chief Executive Richard Gould has instead called for collective action through the ICC:
“We would actively advocate for collective action by the ICC,” Gould said, signaling that the Afghanistan men’s cricket team continues to participate in global competitions under ICC approval.
England are grouped with Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa in the opening phase of the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19th.
With the debate highlighting the intersection of sports and human rights, Buttler’s comments underline the complexities players and governing bodies face when navigating politically charged issues on the global stage.
