Sports
Buttler rejects calls for Afghanistan boycott
England’s match against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy next month should go ahead despite calls for a boycott, says captain Jos Buttler.
A cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, was sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) calling for England to refuse to play in response to the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights.
Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, Buttler said: “Political situations like this… as a player you’re trying to be as informed as you can be.
“The experts know a lot more about it, so I’ve been trying to stay in dialogue with Rob Key [ECB managing director of men’s cricket] and the guys above to see how they see it.
“I don’t think a boycott is the way to go about it.”