Why England MPs want to boycott Afghanistan in Champions Trophy – and why this might hurt their own side the most

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has condemned the Taliban’s policies against women, but has clarified that the game would not be forfeited.

But there could be more drama to come yet. Here’s why.

What is the background of this row?

A wide cross-party group of MPs from the House of Commons and House of Lords signed a letter to the ECB by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, raising concerns over the state of women in Afghanistan, and on the “insidious dystopia” and “sex apartheid” in that country.

The Taliban have banished women from sport, and disbanded all women’s teams and associations. Violators are threatened with execution. Most Afghan women athletes have sought refuge in Western countries.

Women are also barred from studying, and there are restrictions on their dress, movement, and even on being seen outside their homes.

The MPs’ letter, addressed to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, asked “the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated”.

And what position did the ECB take?

Neither the ECB nor Cricket Australia engages Afghanistan in bilateral series. But they do play Afghanistan in global tournaments like the World Cups and the Champions Trophy.

Gould asserted that England had no plans to forfeit the game, and said that “a coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members”.

“We will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the UK government, other stakeholders, the ICC, and other international cricket boards to explore all possible avenues for meaningful change,” he said.

What are the implications of a team unilaterally pulling out of a game?

The tournament code does grant a team the liberty to play or not play a game. But not playing carries a cost: if England skip the Afghanistan game, the latter will be awarded full points.

There are famous precedents for this.

When Australia and West Indies did not travel to Sri Lanka for the 1996 World Cup citing security concerns, the co-hosts were awarded four points.

During the 2003 World Cup, after prolonged political deliberation, England decided not to travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, for their tournament opener. The government of then Prime Minister Tony Blair was opposed to the regime of then President Robert Mugabe, and the ECB requested the ICC for months for a shift of venue. When that did not materialise, England stayed away, and the ICC awarded four points to Zimbabwe.

In that same World Cup, co-hosts Kenya received full points after New Zealand cancelled their trip to Nairobi due to security concerns.

What would England’s cricketers want?

In a tightly-structured tournament such as the Champions Trophy, a team cannot afford any slip-ups. A game that is not played is akin to a game lost.

England are in a difficult group, with South Africa and Australia apart from Afghanistan. And this is not even a case of not travelling to a city or country due to security concerns — so England can’t even lodge an appeal.

Can the ICC act against the Afghanistan Cricket Board for the treatment of women players in the country?

The ICC can suspend a cricket board if evidence of corruption or malpractice is found, or if the country is in political turmoil, or if it is not abiding by ICC norms and code of conduct.

In the past, the ICC has suspended the boards of Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. South Africa was barred from playing for 22 years for apartheid. Activists in the UK have pointed out that Afghanistan has banned women’s cricket, it is facing political strife, and there is no corrective pathway.

Indeed, the ICC constitution mandates that all member nations remain committed to the growth and development of women’s cricket.

So does this mean the ICC could take an extreme step against Afghanistan?

It is unlikely.

Afghanistan is an emerging cricket force, competent enough to beat even the superpowers on their day. Afghan players are regulars in franchise cricket around the world. It would decelerate the sport’s growth in the country, and extinguish the hope and joy generated by the men’s team over the past two decades. A sport like cricket, with hardly a dozen competitive teams, cannot afford to lose an emerging force like Afghanistan.

Also, the Afghan board has strong ties with the Indian cricket board, the most powerful of all cricketing governing bodies. The BCCI’s former secretary, and one of the most influential cricket administrators in the world, Jay Shah, is currently helming the ICC. India has also opened a process of diplomatic outreach to the Taliban, an important strategic imperative given the challenge it faces from Pakistan and China in the region. On Wednesday, New Delhi established the first high-level diplomatic contact with the Taliban.