Buttler not in favor of England boycotting Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy believing it is not the right way.
Buttler not in favor to boycott of Afghanistan cricket ahead of the men’s teams’ scheduled meeting in next month’s Champions Trophy.
The election, which is scheduled for Lahore on February 26, has been the subject of intense political scrutiny in recent weeks after Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote to ECB CEO Richard Gould, denouncing the “insidious dystopia” and “sex apartheid” that 14 million women in Afghanistan face under the Taliban government.
Antoniazzi encouraged England’s men’s squad to “speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban” in a letter signed by over 160 British lawmakers. Since 2021, women have been prohibited from participating in sports in Afghanistan. A boycott would “send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated,” she continued.
Rejecting that plea, Gould claimed that the issue called for a “co-ordinated, ICC-led, response” as opposed to individual nations acting alone. Both Lisa Nandy, the sport and culture secretary, who contended that such actions were “counterproductive,” and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who asked the ICC to “deliver on their own rules,” supported his position.
Speaking in Kolkata ahead of the first T20I against India, Buttler insisted he and his team would be led by the “experts”, but was optimistic that the match would go ahead as planned.
“Political situations like this, as a player you’re trying to be as informed as you can be,” Buttler said. “The experts know a lot more about it, so I’ve been trying to stay in dialogue with Rob Key [ECB men’s managing director] and the guys above to see how they see it. I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it.”