The England and Wales Cricket Board has said it will not approve bilateral matches against Afghanistan outside of ICC events, as ECB president Richard Thomson continues to raise concerns about women’s rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Thompson, who has previously raised concerns about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, rejected calls from 160 cross-party MPs to pull out of last year’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan.
Despite political pressure, the ECB chose to hold the tournament as part of the global ICC event. However, the board has made it clear that outside such matches – in the context of bilateral Test series – Afghanistan will not be allowed to play.
This position is set to continue under the proposed expanded World Test Championship (WTC), which will include Afghanistan for the first time in a category with 12 Test-playing nations.
While the ICC’s working group has proposed giving boards considerable discretion over their fixtures, the ECB has confirmed it will use that discretion to avoid any bilateral series with Afghanistan.
Thomson has said sports relations with Taliban officials are not ideal because of the limitations on women’s participation in education and public life, including cricket.
The ECB’s position would only face Afghanistan in multi-team ICC events where it does not have the unilateral power to withdraw without incurring sanctions.
No bilateral Test match between England and Afghanistan is currently under consideration and sources close to the ECB have indicated that none are planned in the near future.