ECB urges ICC to take action against Afghanistan Cricket Board over Taliban's violations of women's rights

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Gould has written to his International Cricket Council (ICC) counterpart urging the sport's global governing body to consider taking 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 encouraging England to boycott next month's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan and take a stand against the Taliban regime's assault on women's rights.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for the ICC to "deliver their own rules", with the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying the match "should go ahead" as not to penalise the England team, but suggested that British dignitaries should snub the event.

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"What is taking place in Afghanistan is the worst violation of women's rights anywhere on earth," Gould wrote.

"The ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan. We had hoped, when voicing this concern two years it would drive the debate to further action, but unfortunately, this has not been seen.

"While many of our domestic stakeholders continue to call for a boycott of our fixture in the Champions Trophy, a coordinated, ICC-led approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.

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

Gould also urged the ICC to urgently consider "placing an immediate condition on the membership status of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to deliver women's cricket by a certain deadline" and to ringfence a "meaningful proportion" of the ACB's funding until the women's game is reinstated.

An ICC Spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "The ICC remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan and continues to collaborate with our members.

"We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the ACB in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan.

"The ICC has established an Afghanistan Cricket Task Force, chaired by deputy chairman Mr. Imran Khwaja, who will lead the ongoing dialogue on this matter."

Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, a move that puts the ACB in direct contravention of the rules of cricket's governing body.

The women's cricket team fled the country, seeking refuge in Pakistan before they were granted emergency visas for Australia, where most of them currently reside.

Under Taliban rule, payments to the women's side were cut off and the team has received no communication from cricket chiefs despite multiple attempts at making contact.

Gould has also called on the ICC to support the exiled women's team "through funding and advocacy to allow them to compete as an Afghanistan Refugee team," a model which was adopted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2024 Paris Games.

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

However, the entire board was all-male and following a meeting in 2023, the cricket chiefs significantly raised Afghanistan's budget whilst providing no update on the women's team.

Another condition Gould outlined in his letter was to: "Reform the existing Afghanistan Working Group to monitor and oversee this work, by providing regular and objective assessment of the progress of the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

"This group could seek the views of experts on this topic, to upskill and empower leaders to make informed and supported decisions.

"If we do not take the actions that are within our power to take - whilst recognising that much is not in our power - we are all complicit and have failed the privilege that comes with holding a global leadership position in our sport."

Gould's letter to ICC in full

"The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime and would strongly encourage the ICC to intervene and show global leadership at the earliest opportunity. The gender apartheid facing the 14 million women in Afghanistan is reaching a level unseen anywhere else in the world.

"Whilst the issue has gone far beyond cricket, with a restriction on human rights, education, health, and so on, the global cricket community has a role to play collectively, to leverage the power of sport and make a meaningful impact on this global debate.

"The ICC Constitution mandates that all Full Members are committed to the growth and development of women's cricket. In line with this commitment, the ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan. We had hoped, when voicing this concern two years it would drive the debate to further action, but unfortunately, this has not been seen.

"While many of our domestic stakeholders continue to call for a boycott of our fixture in the Champions Trophy, a coordinated, ICC-led approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.

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

"We would therefore urge the ICC to urgently consider:

• Placing an immediate condition on the membership status of the Afghanistan Cricket Board to deliver women's cricket by a certain deadline to re-build trust in ICC's commitment to implement its own Constitution.
• Withholding a meaningful proportion of ICC funding from the Afghanistan Cricket Board until such time as women's/girls' cricket is reinstated, as regularly called for by Richard Thompson and others. The re-allocation of this funding should be discussed at the next ICC Women's Cricket Committee meeting scheduled for late March 2025, and could also be supported by ringfenced funds from the ICC Development Fund.
• Supporting the exiled Afghan women's players, most of whom are based in Melbourne, through funding and advocacy, to allow them to compete as an Afghanistan Refugee team. The model adopted by the IOC as part of the Paris 2024 Olympics sets a good precedent for what the ICC could achieve.
• Standing agenda items on this topic at every ICC Board meeting, with a commitment to open discussions and an option for members to vote if desirable.
• Re-forming the existing Afghanistan Working Group (which is currently all male and given the nature of these issues is unacceptable) to monitor and oversee this work, by providing regular and objective assessment of the progress of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. This group could seek the views of experts on this topic, to upskill and empower leaders to make informed and supported decisions.

"What is taking place in Afghanistan is the worst violation of women's rights anywhere on earth. If we do not take the actions that are within our power to take - whilst recognising that much is not in our power - we are all complicit and have failed the privilege that comes with holding a global leadership position in our sport."