Cricket South Africa (CSA) He issued an official statement after the call of the Minister of Sports Gayton McKenzie He will boycott the game against Afghanistan in the upcoming games ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The minister’s advocacy comes in response to the ongoing suppression of women’s rights by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a contentious issue that has sparked debate in the cricket community globally.
South Africa’s sports minister’s stance on Afghanistan
Explaining his stance against discrimination in sport, Minister McKenzie expressed strong moral reservations about playing against Afghanistan, paralleling South Africa’s history of apartheid. She highlighted the hypocrisy of ignoring the plight of Afghan women while denouncing similar injustices faced by South Africans during the apartheid era.
“As a man from a race that did not have equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way when the same thing is being done to women all over the world.” McKenzie said as quoted by TOI.
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CSA responded to the minister’s call for a boycott of Afghanistan
In response, the CSA made it clear that while acknowledging the appalling treatment of women in Afghanistan, the decision to participate in the Champions Cup International Cricket Council (ICC).
“The CSA finds the treatment and stifling of women’s rights in Afghanistan abhorrent and strongly believes that women’s cricket deserves equal recognition and resources. Since the Champions Trophy is an ICC event, the position regarding Afghanistan should be guided by the world organization according to the requirements and rules of participation in the international tournament. CSA said.
It should be noted that discussions about boycotting Afghanistan in international cricket are not new. Earlier, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) More than 160 people have signed a letter calling on England to boycott matches in support of women’s rights in Afghanistan, following similar calls from British politicians. However, The ECB chose not to boycottinstead advocates a coordinated ICC approach to address the issue more effectively.
