ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Jos Buttler clears England's intentions for Afghanistan boycott

England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has revealed his stance on the issue of a potential boycott against Afghanistan ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Jos Buttler said that he doesn’t believe a boycott is "the way to go", stating that political situations should not influence sport.

England is set to face Afghanistan in their group-stage match of the Champions Trophy on February 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, the fixture has sparked political controversy following a letter sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi.

A group of over 160 parliamentary members in England urged the ECB to boycott the match due to the Taliban's treatment of women in Afghanistan, calling out the ongoing "sex apartheid" and the exclusion of women from sports since 2021. The political pressure continues to mount ahead of the match.

The Players Haven't Really Worried Too Much About It - Jos Buttler

Speaking in Kolkata ahead of the first T20I against India, Jos Buttler said that players "haven’t really worried too much about it" amid political pressure regarding their upcoming match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy.

"The players haven't really worried too much about it," Buttler said. "These things, you're trying to educate yourself and read up on these things. There's been some good stuff written about it that I've tapped into and I've spoken to quite a few people to try and gather expert opinion.

"I'm led by those experts on situations like this, but as a player, you don't want political situations to affect sport. We hope to go to the Champions Trophy and play that game and have a really good tournament."

Don't Think a Boycott Is the Way to Go About It - Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler said that he has been in regular communication with the ECB and its members regarding the issue. Buttler stated that a boycott isn't the right approach and remains optimistic that the match will take place as planned.

"Political situations like this, as a player you're trying to be as informed as you can be," Buttler said. "The experts know a lot more about it, so I've been trying to stay in dialogue with Rob Key [ECB men's managing director] and the guys above to see how they see it. I don't think a boycott is the way to go about it."

England's Cricketers Faced a Similar Dilemma During the 2003 World Cup

England's cricketers faced a similar dilemma during the 2003 World Cup. The team, led by Nasser Hussain, was pressured to boycott their group-stage match against Zimbabwe, which was under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. England forfeited the points for that match, which led to their elimination.

ECB chief Richard Gould has rejected calls for a boycott game against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy. He emphasized that the Taliban's actions in Afghanistan have restricted women's rights, but the matter required a "co-ordinated, ICC-led response" rather than actions from individual nations.

Also read: Jos Buttler openly attacks BCCI over strict family policies for India cricketers