The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that England will not play any bilateral cricket series against Afghanistan outside of ICC tournaments. The decision, confirmed by ECB chairman Richard Thompson, comes in protest against the Taliban government’s restrictions on Afghan women, including bans on secondary and higher education and on women’s cricket. Thompson stated that the ECB does not find it appropriate to maintain sporting relations with a regime that enforces such prohibitions.

The move follows a similar stance taken earlier by Australia, which also refused to play Afghanistan in bilateral matches for the same reason. Under Taliban rule, women in Afghanistan have been barred from participating in sports, and the country’s female cricketers have faced persecution. Many of them have fled abroad, with several now living as refugees in Australia.

The ECB emphasized that its decision reflects its commitment to supporting women’s rights and freedom in sports, using its independence to opt out of the potential Test Championship series against Afghanistan.