Cricket South Africa (CSA) issued an official response after Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie called for a boycott of their match against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
The minister's call is rooted in the ongoing suppression of women's rights by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a controversial issue that has sparked widespread debate within the global cricket community.
Minister McKenzie expressed strong moral concerns about facing Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, drawing a parallel to South Africa's history of apartheid.
He argued that ignoring the plight of Afghan women while condemning similar injustices faced by South Africans during apartheid would be hypocritical.
“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done to women anywhere in the world,” McKenzie said.
In response, CSA acknowledged the horrific treatment of women in Afghanistan but clarified that the decision regarding participation in the Champions Trophy lies with the International Cricket Council (ICC), not individual cricket boards.
“CSA finds the treatment and suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan abhorrent and firmly believes that women’s cricket deserves equal recognition and resources. As the Champions Trophy is an ICC event, the position on Afghanistan must be guided by the world body in accordance with international tournament participation requirements and regulations,” CSA stated.
The debate over boycotting Afghanistan in international cricket is not new.
Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) faced similar calls from over 160 British politicians, urging England to boycott their match against Afghanistan in support of women’s rights in the country.
However, the ECB opted against a boycott, instead advocating for a coordinated ICC-wide approach to address the issue more effectively.
McKenzie’s remarks come after British politicians renewed their call for a boycott, particularly with England’s match against Afghanistan scheduled for February 26, 2025, in Lahore.
Additionally, Australia, placed in the same Group B, had already postponed bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan twice, citing similar concerns.
The two sides, however, faced each other in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
