But even Khalida Popal – the former captain of the country’s national football team and one of Afghanistan’s most vocal proponents for change – admits that she’s shocked at the extent that governing bodies such as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Fifa have been complicit in marginalising women’s sport in the country.

A group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country's cricket board (ECB) needed to take a stand against the Taliban's crackdown on women.

England's men's players have the "power" to make their own stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, says Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi.

Richard Gould, the ECB's chief executive, has rejected calls from a group of British politicians for England to boycott their upcoming Champions Trophy clash with Afghanistan in February, saying that the Taliban regime's clampdown on women's rights is a matter that requires a "co-ordinated,

England’s cricket authorities have rejected calls to boycott an upcoming match against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy over the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls. Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB),

England will not boycott their Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan. The ECB, however, reaffirmed its stand against the Taliban’s actions.

ECB rejects British politicians plea for England to boycott Afghanistan game (Photo Source: X(Twitter) A group of British politicians had urged England to boycott their upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 clash with Afghanistan in February.

The England and Welsh Cricket Board (ECB) has dismissed the call to boycott the Afghanistan clash in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday (Jan 7. A total of 160 British lawmakers proposed the idea of boycotting the clash which takes place on Feb 26 in Lahore.