England's upcoming Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan should go ahead despite calls for a boycott over the Taliban's treatment of women, according to a senior British government minister.

It is 2003 revisited as players are left in an invidious position by politicians to decide whether to boycott Afghanistan trip

Olympian Sharron Davies joins chorus of MPs calling for game to be called off because of the Taliban's treatment of women

The UK government says the International Cricket Council should "deliver on their own rules" relating to women's participation as the England men's team resist calls to boycott their upcoming match against Afghanistan.

A group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country's cricket board (ECB) needed to take a stand against the Taliban's crackdown on women.

Former Northern Ireland first minister Baroness Foster has called for the England men's cricket team to boycott a match against Afghanistan. She is one of seven MPs and peers from Northern Ireland, along with more than 160 other parliamentarians, to have backed a boycott due to the Taliban regime's oppression of women.

Despite mounting calls in England and South Africa for their men’s teams to boycott Afghanistan matches in the Champions Trophy 2025, it is highly unlikely that the games will be cancelled. This is primarily because neither team would want to forfeit valuable points in a closely contested,

England's men's should play against Afghanistan, despite calls for a boycott in response to the Taliban regime's assault on women's rights, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says.

By Mark Gleeson CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -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.

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.