The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed in a statement that they will play against Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy, despite the pressure to boycott the fixture in response to Taliban’s violation of women’s rights. ( More Cricket News)

England's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan will go ahead, despite calls for a boycott. A cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, was sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) asking for England to refuse to play in response to the Taliban's human rights record.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England's men's team will play their scheduled ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 fixture against Afghanistan.

The call for a boycott was started by a group of British lawmakers last month, who called on England to skip the Champions Trophy group stage match against Afghanistan. The appeal has been backed by over 160 British politicians and South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie.

England will play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy later this month despite calls from British politicians to boycott the match over the Taliban regime's curtailment of women's rights. More than 160 British politicians had called for a boycott as female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.