ECB urges Taliban to take action against Afghanistan Cricket Board over women’s rights violations | Cricket news

England and Wales Cricket Board chief Richard Gould has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, to take action against the Afghanistan Cricket Board over the Taliban government’s treatment of women.

Earlier this week, a group of more than 160 politicians, including Nigel Farage, Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock, signed a letter urging England to boycott next month’s Champions League match against Afghanistan and to oppose the Taliban regime’s abuse of women’s rights.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on the ICC to come up with its own rules, while culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the game “must go on” to avoid punishing the England team, but British officials suggested the move should be thwarted. event.

“What is going on in Afghanistan is the worst violation of women’s rights in the world,” Gold wrote.

“ECB has maintained its position not to organize any bilateral cricket matches with Afghanistan. When we expressed this concern for two years, we hoped that it would stimulate the debate to further steps, but unfortunately, this did not happen.

While many of our domestic stakeholders continue to call for a ban on our Championship Trophy, a coordinated, ICC-led approach will have more impact than individual actions by individual members.

“We want to work with you and other members to find a solution that gives hope that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan can be restored.”

Gold also urged the ICC to urgently consider “the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s membership status to deliver women’s cricket by a deadline” and to retain a “meaningful portion” of the ACB’s funding until the women’s game is restored.

After the Taliban return to power in 2021, women’s participation in the sport will be effectively banned, a move that puts the ACB in direct contravention of cricket’s governing body.

The women’s cricket team fled the country and sought asylum in Pakistan before being granted emergency visas to Australia, where most of them now live.

Under Taliban rule, women’s pay was cut off and the team had no contact from cricket bosses despite several attempts to contact them.

Gold called on the ICC to support the model adopted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2024 Paris Games by “funding and supporting teams like the Afghan refugees to compete.”

In the year In 2021, the ICC established an Afghanistan Working Group to influence change and monitor the situation in the country.

However, the board was all male and in 2010 After the 2023 summit, cricket chiefs have increased Afghanistan’s budget significantly despite not offering any reforms to the women’s team.

Another condition that Gould outlined in the letter was: “Conduct a formal and objective review of the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s performance and improve the Afghanistan Working Group to monitor and oversee this work.”

“This group can seek the opinion of experts on this topic, to encourage the leaders to make informed and supported decisions.

“If we don’t take the steps in our power – and realize that there is not much in power – we are all complicit and we have failed the unique opportunity that comes with having a global leadership position in our sport.”