Cricket South Africa has joined the England and Wales Cricket Board in calling for a “unified and collective approach” to motion towards Afghanistan following calls to boycott subsequent month’s Champions Trophy match between the nations.
Greater than 160 UK politicians signed a letter written to the ECB, urging England to refuse to play the 50-over match in an effort to take a stand towards the Taliban regime’s assault on ladies’s rights.
The CSA mentioned it had additionally obtained correspondence from former MP Lord Peter Hain.
“We’re of the view {that a} extra unified and collective strategy from all ICC members can be extra impactful,” CSA president Rihan Richards mentioned.
“CSA is dedicated and can proceed to have interaction in constructive dialogue with the ICC and different members to discover a resolution that upholds ladies’s cricket in Afghanistan and affect significant change in that nation.”
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage and former Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock had been amongst these to signal the letter written by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, external.
The participation of girls in sport has successfully been outlawed for the reason that Taliban’s return to energy in 2021 and plenty of of Afghanistan’s feminine gamers left the country for their own safety.
Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) rules state full membership is conditional upon having ladies’s cricket groups and pathway buildings in place.
Nonetheless, Afghanistan’s males’s staff have been allowed to take part in ICC tournaments seemingly with none sanctions.
The CSA mentioned the suppression of girls’s rights in Afghanistan is “abhorrent” and believes ladies’s cricket deserves “equal recognition and sources”.
“Because the Champions Trophy is an ICC occasion, the place on Afghanistan have to be guided by the world physique in accordance with worldwide event participation necessities and rules,” the CSA added.
South Africa are scheduled to start their Champions Trophy marketing campaign towards Afghanistan on 21 February in Karachi.
South Africa sports activities minister Gayton McKenzie has additionally positioned his assist behind a boycott towards going through Afghanistan.
“Cricket South Africa, the federations of different nations and the ICC must think twice in regards to the message the game of cricket needs to ship the world, and particularly the ladies in sports activities,” McKenzie mentioned.
“It’s not for me because the sports activities minister to make the ultimate resolution on whether or not South Africa ought to honour cricketing fixtures towards Afghanistan. If it was my resolution, then it actually wouldn’t occur.
“As a person who comes from a race that was not allowed equal entry to sporting alternatives throughout Apartheid, it might be hypocritical and immoral to look the opposite approach at this time when the identical is being carried out in direction of ladies wherever on the planet.”
Pakistan and impartial venue Dubai hosts the eight-team Champions Trophy from 19 February to 9 March. Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan function in Group B, whereas Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh meet in Group A.
