Last Updated:
Jos Buttler doesn’t think boycotting the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan is the ‘way to go’ to counter the Taliban regime’s discriminatory practices.
England and Afghanistan facing off in the Cricket World Cup (PTI)
England T20I captain Jos Buttler said on Tuesday that boycotting Afghanistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy is not ‘the way to go’ amid political pressure to do so back home due to the Taliban regime’s discriminatory practices. He added that he is staying ‘educated’ about the situation and has left the decision to the ‘experts’.
England and Afghanistan will play each other on February 26 in Lahore. The match has become a huge point of discussion in English political circles, with the matter even making its way into the parliament.
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote a letter to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Gould pointing at the discrimination against women cricketers — the sport has been all but banned for women since 2021 — in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Antoniazzi said a boycott of the match would send a ‘clear message’ against this ‘sex apartheid’.
“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.”
“The players haven’t really worried too much about it,” he said. “These things, you’re trying to educate yourself and read up on these things. There’s been some good stuff written about it that I’ve tapped into and I’ve spoken to quite a few people to try and gather expert opinion.”
“I’m led by those experts on situations like this, but as a player, you don’t want political situations to affect sport. We hope to go to the Champions Trophy and play that game and have a really good tournament.”
Goud rejected Antoniazzi’s plea, saying the situation required a combined effort through the ICC. UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, backed him and put the ball in the ICC’s court, too.
England are India to play a five-T20I and three-ODI series. The T20Is will begin at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 21). England will start their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia on February 22.
