MERIDEN and Solihull East MP, Saqib Bhatti has joined the call on England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan.
The Shadow Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport has written to Richard Gould, chief executive of the ECB, as part of a cross-party and cross chamber campaign to withdraw England from an upcoming 50-over match in Lahore.
The politicians want the team to refuse to play and take a stand against the Taliban’s regime which has prevented women from taking part in organised sport since it returned to power in 2021.
Mr Bhatti said: “Upon regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, one of the Taliban’s first acts was banning women from sport. They raided the homes of female athletes, some of whom were forced to burn their kits to avoid being identified.
“The women’s cricket team was disbanded and having fled the country are now in exile.
“Aside being morally repugnant, this is a direct contravention of International Cricket Council rules that require all test nations to support and fund women’s cricket. As you know, the Afghanistan men’s cricket team is still allowed to compete internationally, while their women’s team is denied the same right.
“This blatant denial of opportunities for Afghan women cricketers is appalling, and forms just one element of the Taliban’s unconscionable oppression of women and girls that continues unabated.
“Sport was only the first joy to be removed from women in Afghanistan, and since then life for them has become incomprehensibly unbearable, with the Taliban removing their most basic human rights and freedoms at a prolific scale.”
The Conservative MP has challenged the ECB over the reluctance to cancel the upcoming match with Afghanistan, labelling it as ‘a stand against sex apartheid.
He said: “The ECB is not blind to this abhorrence.
“Last year, they confirmed that England would not schedule a bilateral series against Afghanistan whilst women were banned from sport.
“We know sport has immense power to bring people together, but staging this cricket match sends women and girls the wrong message.
“Now, with England scheduled to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy next month, the ECB have a precious opportunity to extend those principles and stand up for women and girls in Afghanistan.”
