THE ENGLAND and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been urged to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan by a group of more than 160 politicians.

The England men’s ODI side are due to face Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26 but there are calls from Westminster for the ECB to refuse the fixture, taking a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights.

Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since their return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in direct contravention of the International Cricket Council’s rules.