The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 can’t catch a break. Just when we thought the tournament drama was settling down, Australian and British women’s rights groups are stirring the pot with calls to boycott Afghanistan’s matches.
ICC Champions Trophy faces another issue
Let’s be real—this is a massive headache for the ICC. They’ve already dealt with enough controversy around this tournament, and now they might have to figure out what to do if Australia or England refuse to play Afghanistan, according to a report in Afghanistan. We’re talking about having to rejig the whole tournament schedule and hosting rights, which was not at all fun for the parties involved. Pakistan, the original hosts, will be sharing the venues with Dubai, where Team India will play all their games.
According to a Fox News report, the network issued a statement urging the British government to not only cancel the match scheduled for Feb. 26 as part of the ICC Champions League but to sever all sporting ties with Afghanistan.“In fact, we are asking our politicians and sporting bodies to go further,” the statement read. “We want Prime Minister Keir Starmer to mandate a complete boycott of all matches with Afghanistan in every sport. [The England cricket team] should cancel all matches against Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team in every tournament. Players and coaches should examine their consciences.”
The Aussies have already shown they mean business, having ditched their ODIs against Afghanistan earlier. Now, with feminist groups in both countries pushing hard for a total sporting boycott, the pressure’s really mounting on cricket boards to take a stand. The whole thing stems from Afghanistan’s treatment of women under Taliban rule—no women’s cricket team, no real rights, the works.
Champions Trophy 2025 Groups
| Group A | Group B |
| Pakistan | South Africa |
| India | Australia |
| New Zealand | Afghanistan |
| Bangladesh | England |
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