South Africa sports minister urges Proteas to boycott Champions Trophy match vs Afghanistan

South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie was the latest voice who urged the Proteas to boycott the Champions Trophy match vs Afghanistan on February 21 because of the Taliban government’s ban on women’s sports and their decision to disband the Afghanistan’s women’s team.

“It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa should honor cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen,” McKenzie said.

“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.

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McKenzie also termed the International Cricket Council (ICC) as hypocritical for not upholding its own mandates that member nations develop men’s and women’s cricket. McKenzie noted Sri Lanka Cricket was suspended by the ICC from November 2023 to January 2024 for government interference.

“This does not happen in the case of Afghanistan, suggesting that political interference in the administration of sport is being tolerated there,” McKenzie said.

“Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports. I hope that the consciences of all those involved in cricket, including the supporters, players and administrators, will take a firm stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan,” he added.

On Wednesday, nearly 160 UK politicians wrote to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) urging them to boycott the group fixture against Afghanistan to be played in Lahore. This led to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling on the ICC to follow its own rules, which make it mandatory for any full member that fails to field men’s and women’s teams to be suspended.

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