British politicians urge England to boycott ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan.

A group of British politicians has urged England to boycott their ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country’s cricket officials need to take a stand against the Taliban’s crackdown on women.

A letter signed by more than 160 MPs on Monday called for England’s players and officials to speak out against the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, it raises the insidious dystopia unfolding in Afghanistan.

Since its return to power in 2021, the Taliban has clamped down on the rights of women and girls, restricting their access to education and work, curbing their freedom of movement, and forcing them to cover their faces and bodies.

Women and girls have also been barred from sports and gyms, a breach of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules.

The Afghanistan women’s team was also disbanded, with several members fleeing the country after 2021.