Jos Buttler clears England’s decision to boycott Afghanistan.
England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler has expressed his position on the issue that could be raised against Afghanistan ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Political conditions should not affect sports.
England will face Afghanistan in the group stage on February 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, the match sparked political controversy following a letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) from Labor MP Tonya Antoniazzi.
A group of more than 160 MPs in the UK has urged the Taliban to ban the Games over its treatment of women in Afghanistan. before the match.
The players are not too worried about it – Jos Buttler
Speaking ahead of India’s first T20I in Kolkata, Jos Buttler said the players were “not too worried about it” and said they were under political pressure for their upcoming match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy.
“The players weren’t too worried about it,” Butler said. “These things, you’re trying to educate yourself and read up on these things. There’s been some good stuff written about it and I’ve referenced it and talked to a few people to gather expert opinions.
“In such situations, I am guided by those experts, but as a player, I don’t want political situations to affect the sport. We hope to go to the Champions Cup and play that game and have a good competition.”
Don’t think boycott is the way to go – Joss Butler
Jos Butler from the ECB on the matter. And he said he has been in regular contact with the members. Butler stated that the boycott is not the right approach and expressed hope that the match will be held as planned.
“These kinds of political situations, as a player, you’re trying to get as much information as you can,” Butler said. “The experts know a lot about it, so I’m trying to talk to Rob Key (ECB men’s managing director) and the people at the top about how they see it. I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it.”
English cricketers faced the same problem during the 2003 World Cup
During the 2003 World Cup, England’s cricketers faced the same problem. The team led by Nasser Hussain has come under pressure to not participate in the group game against Zimbabwe under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. England were eliminated from the tournament as they lost the points for that match.
ECB chief Richard Gould rejected calls for a boycott of the Champions Cup match against Afghanistan. They emphasized that the actions taken by the Taliban in Afghanistan restrict women’s rights, and that the issue requires a coordinated response led by the ICC, rather than the actions of individual countries.
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