England have decided to play against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on February 26, despite calls for a boycott from over 160 British politicians. The ECB believes that a coordinated international approach will be more effective and wants to support ordinary Afghans who gain enjoyment from watching their national team.

Boycott would kill off ‘one of the few things that brings happiness’; Plus, ICC told to ‘wake up’ to Afghan women’s plight

England's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan will go ahead, despite calls for a boycott. A cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, was sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) asking for England to refuse to play in response to the Taliban's human rights record.

England will play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy later this month despite calls from British politicians to boycott the match over the Taliban regime's curtailment of women's rights. More than 160 British politicians had called for a boycott as female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.