South African sports minister calls for boycott of Afghanistan Cricket Match

The South African Minister of Sports, Nathi Mthethwa, has joined calls for a boycott of Afghanistan’s cricket match in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Mthethwa expressed support for the British politicians who want the game to be canceled in response to the Taliban’s repression of women.

Earlier, over 160 prominent British politicians signed a letter demanding that England cancel its match against Afghanistan. This match is scheduled to take place in Lahore on February 26, 2025, as part of the Champions Trophy.

England and South Africa are in the same group as Afghanistan for the tournament, and both countries are under pressure to boycott their matches against Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s suppression of women’s rights since their return to power in August 2021.

Following widespread calls for England’s cricket team to boycott the match, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider women’s rights in Afghanistan when making decisions about the tournament.

South Africa is scheduled to play against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy on February 21, 2025, in Karachi. However, Mthethwa has called on the South African cricket board to cancel the match in protest.

Mthethwa emphasized that cricket federations worldwide, as well as the ICC, must carefully consider the message they want to send to the world, particularly regarding women’s participation in sports. He stated that if it were up to him, South Africa would not participate in the match.

Mthethwa further expressed that, as a man who faced racial discrimination during apartheid, it would be immoral and hypocritical for him to ignore the plight of Afghanistan women who are denied the right to play sports due to their gender.

Peter Hain, a former British cabinet minister raised in South Africa, wrote to Cricket South Africa this week, urging the organization to challenge the ban on women and girls playing cricket in Afghanistan.

Richard Gould, the CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, responded by calling for a unified approach from all ICC members concerning Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket. While he condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women, he stated that any action against Afghanistan’s cricket team must involve a coordinated decision from all countries.

Cricket South Africa has yet to make a public statement regarding these calls for a boycott.

Australia, another country scheduled to play Afghanistan on February 26, 2025, also postponed a series of men’s 20-over bilateral matches with Afghanistan in March 2024 due to worsening human rights violations against women and girls under the Taliban. However, the Australian team played against Afghanistan in the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The growing international calls for boycotts and protests against Afghanistan’s participation in cricket are rooted in the global outcry over the Taliban’s ongoing suppression of women’s rights. The lack of opportunities for Afghan women and girls to engage in sports, education, and employment is a serious human rights issue that demands a united international response.

The situation reflects broader concerns about the impact of the Taliban regime on Afghanistan’s society, especially the rights of women and girls. As the global community weighs the ethical implications of engaging with Afghanistan in international sporting events, it is clear that the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan must continue to be a focal point of international diplomacy and action.

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