The board were urged by more than 160 politicians in the UK to pull out of the match in a letter published on Monday. Welsh Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote a letter signed by other MPs including former Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Neil Kinnock, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage which expressed "profound concern" regarding the upcoming match given "the appalling oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan and the removal of their rights".

The letter also cited the ECB's stance to not play Afghanistan in men's bilateral series, and said the board has "a precious opportunity to extend those principals and condemn this abhorrent oppression". In concluding, the letter said: "We must stand against sex apartheid, and we implore the ECB to deliver a firm message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls that their suffering has not been overlooked."

ECB: Would rather take a unified stance with the ICC than act alone

However, in response to the letter, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said the board would rather take a unified stance with the ICC than act alone. "The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime," Gould wrote.

"The ICC constitution mandates that all member nations are committed to the growth and development of women's cricket. In line with this commitment, the ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan.

"While there has not been a consensus on further international action within the ICC, the ECB will continue to actively advocate for such measures. A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.

Former Afghanistan women's cricketers request ICC to help set up refugee team in Australia

READ ⬇️https://t.co/EMsk4cuiRb

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 1, 2024

"It's crucial to recognise the importance of cricket as a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country... 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."

Women in Afghanistan have been effectively banned from taking part in organised sport since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. At that time, female players who had been offered central contracts by the ACB in 2020 fled the country in fear of their lives in response to the previous Taliban regime's stance towards women, most settling in Australia. Since then, the Taliban have cracked down even harder on women's freedoms in Afghanistan, including banning formal education, a new law reportedly announced in September 2024 banning women from speaking outside their own homes.

Nations have faced repeated calls to boycott the Afghanistan men's team in both bilateral series and international events since the Taliban's return to power. Cricket Australia indefinitely postponed a bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan in March last year, but have continued to play them in ICC tournaments, a stance which the ECB also adheres to.

However, that policy has also come under criticism for not going far enough. Outgoing ICC chair Greg Barclay said in an interview with the Telegraph last month: "If you want to make a political statement, don't play them in a World Cup. Sure, it might cost you a semi-final place, but principles are principles. It's not about having half a principle."

Over the last 18 months, Afghanistan men have enjoyed increased success in international tournaments which has furthered the spotlight on side's decision to continue to play them in ICC events. In the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan beat England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands to finish sixth in the table. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2024 men's T20 World Cup, the first time they have ever made it to the knockout stage of an ICC tournament.

In response to that achievement, the former members of the Afghanistan women's team living in Australia released a statement which read: "A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers."

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