South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie called the playing of Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy “hypocritical and immoral” amid the Taliban’s ban on Women’s sport
Amidst growing backlash at Afghanistan’s participation in the approaching ICC Champions Trophy 2025, South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie advocated the cause. McKenzie expressed his discontentment over the Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan, especially violating women’s rights and oppressing them.
Asserting his solidarity with the women of the war-torn country, the minister said, “If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen.” He said in a statement from South Africa’s Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, “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 towards women anywhere in the world.”
England and South Africa are constantly under pressure to boycott the upcoming matches with Afghanistan in response to the Taliban’s suppression of women’s rights since its return to power in August 2021 as they share the same Group B with Afghanistan in the ODI competition.
South Africa will kick off its Champions trophy on February 21 against Afghanistan in Karachi but McKenzie urged his country’s cricket board to back out of the fixture. He made a statement on Thursday stating, “Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC (International Cricket Council) will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports.”
“It is not for me as the Sports Minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa should honour cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen.”
Earlier this week, England also faced a similar situation where a group of 160 British politicians from both ends of the political spectrum called for boycotting its fixtures with Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26.
England Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould countered the action by calling for a steady approach from all member nations towards Afghanistan’s participation in global cricket.
Australia, who is scheduled to play Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28 has not responded yet, but earlier in March 2024, postponed a bilateral men’s T20 series against Afghanistan citing declining women’s rights under Taliban rule.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, an ICC spokesperson said, “The ICC will not penalize the ACB, or its players, for abiding by the laws set by the government of their country. We will continue to constructively use our influence to assist the ACB in developing cricket and playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan.”
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