Delhi: The Champions Trophy to be held in February is constantly surrounded by controversies. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already made it clear that the Indian team will not go to Pakistan for this tournament. For this reason, it has now been decided to conduct this tournament in hybrid model. But now another controversy has arisen.
Decision not to play against Afghanistan
England has refused to play against Afghanistan. In fact, 160 MPs of Britain have appealed to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) not to play any match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy. The reason behind this is the restrictions imposed on women’s rights by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Issue raised in British Parliament
This issue was discussed in both the houses of the British Parliament—House of Commons and House of Lords. The MPs appealed to the ECB to send a strong message against the injustice being done against women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban has imposed many restrictions on women since taking power in Afghanistan in 2021. Women have also been barred from participating in sports.
ECB statement
ECB Chief Executive Officer Richard Gould said that if all ICC members take action together in this matter, it will have a big impact. He said, “The ECB strongly condemns the atrocities being committed by the Taliban on women and girls. The ICC constitution talks about promoting women’s cricket. Under this, the ECB has decided not to play bilateral series with Afghanistan.
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