Fears over the safety of England players while in Pakistan are underpinning English cricket’s refusal to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Taliban-governed Afghanistan.

England's men's players have the "power" to make their own stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, says Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi.

A group of more than 160 British politicians have called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott next month's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan as a stand against the Taliban regime's assault on women's rights.

South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said he supported calls for a boycott of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians who have called on England not to play them next month.

The ECB is against forfeiting the game – if England do not play, Afghanistan get full points. Given how small the cricketing world is, the ICC can ill afford to hurt the game in Afghanistan. And then there is the all-important question of what India thinks.

More than 160 politicians, including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, have signed a letter condemning the "insidious dystopia" in Afghanistan, but the ECB said it would prefer to take unified rather than unilateral action.

Richard Gould, the ECB's chief executive, has rejected calls from a group of British politicians for England to boycott their upcoming Champions Trophy clash with Afghanistan in February, saying that the Taliban regime's clampdown on women's rights is a matter that requires a "co-ordinated,

England will not boycott their Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan. The ECB, however, reaffirmed its stand against the Taliban’s actions.

ECB rejects British politicians plea for England to boycott Afghanistan game (Photo Source: X(Twitter) A group of British politicians had urged England to boycott their upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 clash with Afghanistan in February.

The England and Welsh Cricket Board (ECB) has dismissed the call to boycott the Afghanistan clash in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday (Jan 7. A total of 160 British lawmakers proposed the idea of boycotting the clash which takes place on Feb 26 in Lahore.