Sports minister joins calls for Afghanistan cricket boycott
Hypocritical not to take a stand against Taliban’s ‘apartheid’ treatment of women, says Gayton McKenzie
09 January 2025 - 18:31
by Mark Gleeson
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Sport, arts & culture minister Gayton McKenzie. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/BRENTON GEACH
Sport minister Gayton McKenzie said on Thursday he supported calls for a boycott of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians for England not to play them in February.
England and SA share the same group with Afghanistan in the one-day international competition and are under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women’s rights since returning to power in August 2021.
SA are scheduled to open their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan in Karachi on February 2, but McKenzie urged governing body Cricket SA to reconsider the fixture.
“Cricket SA, the federations of other countries and the ICC [International Cricket Council] will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports,” he said in a statement.
“It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether SA should honour cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen.
“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done towards women anywhere in the world,” he added.
More than 160 British politicians have signed a cross-party letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), calling for a boycott of England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26.
ECB CEO Richard Gould responded by calling for a uniform approach from all member nations towards Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket.
Cricket SA has not yet responded to questions.
Australia also are scheduled to take on Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28. Cricket Australia indefinitely postponed a bilateral men’s T20 series against Afghanistan in March last year, citing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”.
But they did play them at the World Cup in India in late 2023 and at the T20 World Cup last June.
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird last month said he was “very proud of the position we’ve taken” after they were accused of hypocrisy.
“We’ve taken a position, and we’re proudly standing up where we think we should,” he said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Sports minister joins calls for Afghanistan cricket boycott
Hypocritical not to take a stand against Taliban’s ‘apartheid’ treatment of women, says Gayton McKenzie
Sport minister Gayton McKenzie said on Thursday he supported calls for a boycott of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians for England not to play them in February.
England and SA share the same group with Afghanistan in the one-day international competition and are under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women’s rights since returning to power in August 2021.
SA are scheduled to open their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan in Karachi on February 2, but McKenzie urged governing body Cricket SA to reconsider the fixture.
“Cricket SA, the federations of other countries and the ICC [International Cricket Council] will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports,” he said in a statement.
“It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether SA should honour cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen.
“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done towards women anywhere in the world,” he added.
More than 160 British politicians have signed a cross-party letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), calling for a boycott of England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26.
ECB CEO Richard Gould responded by calling for a uniform approach from all member nations towards Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket.
Cricket SA has not yet responded to questions.
Australia also are scheduled to take on Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28. Cricket Australia indefinitely postponed a bilateral men’s T20 series against Afghanistan in March last year, citing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”.
But they did play them at the World Cup in India in late 2023 and at the T20 World Cup last June.
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird last month said he was “very proud of the position we’ve taken” after they were accused of hypocrisy.
“We’ve taken a position, and we’re proudly standing up where we think we should,” he said.
Reuters
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