Cricket match boycott? England v Afghanistan, in protest of sex-based apartheid

The Afghan mens cricket team are playing Ireland later today

https://nitter.net/ThefantasticsL/status/2086432655726330254#m

Interesting thread. I initially thought yes, we should boycott. There’s so much sport washing but I hadn’t realised the complexities. Nor that the team don’t play in Afghanistan.

We were having quite an amenable discussion there albeit from differing viewpoints. Trivialising it is rather crass.

They are good and could beat us. Let's boycott just in case.

As a side note, there is also the complexity of Iranian football and its stance on female spectators.

Also it may be worth pointing out that if people want to protest to the ICC that the other people you need to sway are the Indian Cricket Board as frankly they hold the most sway ( or so it would appear) . In my opinion if India were to stop playing Afghanistan then the ICC would act .

Rashid Khan lives in the UAE I think . He was born in Afghanistan but his family had left during one of the wars and he was ‘discovered’ in Peshawar, Pakistan where the family lived . When Australia first said they were not going to play Afghanistan his response was
I take great pride in representing my country and we have made great progress on the world stage. This decision sets us back on that journey,” he said. “If playing against Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia then I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore I will be strongly considering my future in that competition
He has decided not to play this season .
Australia made it clear in their statement that they were continuing to work with the Afghan cricket board .

Your post is misleading, OP. England will be playing Afghanistan as part of the Champions Trophy (basically a World Cup), on neutral ground. England, along with Australia, have said they will no longer play Afghanistan in bilateral cricket.

I do agree with your sentiment but the criticism needs to be aimed at the ICC, not England, as it is they who allow Afghanistan to continue competing in global events.

Out of interest, OP, did you care about this in September when the article was written? Or before that even? Did you care about Afghan sportswomen ( or indeed the men ) at any point in the past?

I know Turner herself reposted it but mainly to promote her own journalism.

Where does the team even live, I think most if not all are expats

It was more than that, Trump went to the Taliban and made a deal.

Are you boycotting Isreal for their documented sexual assaults?

I actually think that these events are more important than ever. we need to ensure that Afghanistan people continue to be involved in and influenced by the rest of the world if there is to be any chance of rebellion against the current regime. They need to see how different the way they live is from the majority of the world and how wrong it is.

Interesting viewpoint from an actual Afghan woman cricketer (I'm not clear what Turner actually knows or understands about cricket). Bit old now but raises important issues. Not least that Afghan women are not going to be able to play in the country for the foreseeable future and what is needed is support for exiled cricketers - men and women - form the international sports community.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/58595784

You haven't said it but, for clarity, in case anyone comes to this thread, the team don't play in Afghanistan (obviously) and they don't play under the Taliban flag - in itself an act of defiance.

Yes, at present , the Taliban regime seems to be attempting sportwashing via appearing to promote cricket success but they vacillate enormously on this stance. Sportswashing is everywhere .

It's more complex than Janice Turner makes out. Where the SA all white team did not speak out against apartheid (in fact many were supporters) , the Afghan cricket team have. Cricket did set up a woman's team which also now plays in exile but cricket itself is a relatively 'new' (or renewed) sport in Afghanistan and was always traditionally seen as a ray of hope - obviously the return of the Taliban added awful complexity to this. This again is different from SA who wanted to remain as leaders on the world stage in cricket . If we had played SA at cricket we would have travelled to SA and participated in segregation on and off the pitch.

Totally agree with this. It's something.

The history of Afghan Cricket is very interesting. The sport was banned under the Taliban and all the pitches were requisitioned. The sport rose from the ashes as a fight back. It is worth reading up on this. There was a book and a documentary. The sport was at the centre of trying to protect girls and women at one point (there was an amazing cricket based charity called Afghan connection).

I always feel his protests might be imperfect but it's something. I grew up under a dictatorship that disappeared people. That fed people to crocodiles. That burnt people in their homes (oh an accident). Critics had road accidents with inconsistent injuries. So whatever his shortfalls (I don't personally know them) am happy for every dot of criticism especially from an Afghan male.
BTW, what have you been doing for Afghanistan That has been radically women's situation? Changing Taliban policies?

Exactly. At great risk to himself and his family. But it's easier to judge from our safe seats