In a statement, the ECB said the situation in Afghanistan "is nothing short of gender apartheid", adding a co-ordinated international response by the cricketing community is the a

The England Cricket Board announced in a statement on Thursday that the cricketing board has decided to go ahead with the Champions Trophy 2025 encounter against Afghanistan amidst calls for a boycott of the game.

England's cricket board (ECB) will proceed with their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan, despite calls for a boycott over women's rights issues in Afghanistan. The ECB, after talks with the International Cricket Council and authorities,

There is growing pressure on England to boycott February’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan, but for those living under Taliban rule cricket provides “a moment of peace in a lifetime of struggles”.

The England and Wales Cricket Board faced calls to boycott the fixture in a show of solidarity with Afghanistans women, who are in exile due to a clampdown on female rights under the Taliban regime; w