Image: The ICC Champions Trophy match between South Africa and Afghanistan faces uncertainty / © Jagran
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked a significant controversy as the South Africa vs. Afghanistan match faces potential disruption. South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, has advocated for boycotting the game in solidarity with Afghan women, who are banned from playing sports under the Taliban regime.
McKenzie emphasized his moral obligation to oppose such suppression, despite ICC regulations against political interference in cricket. Cricket South Africa (CSA) expressed concern over women’s rights in Afghanistan, reaffirming its commitment to gender equality but deferred the decision to the ICC. He said:
A position that I feel morally bound to support, despite the deep complications of Afghanistan’s recent and tragic history. I am aware that the ICC, like most international sporting mother bodies, professes not to tolerate political interference in the administration of sport, despite its obvious inconsistency with Afghanistan. It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa 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.
CSA President Rihan Richards highlighted ongoing discussions with the ICC and member boards to address the issue constructively. The match, scheduled for February 21, follows criticism of South Africa’s recent ODI series against Afghanistan. The global cricketing community awaits a unified stance as CSA navigates the delicate balance between ethics and sportsmanship in a high-stakes ICC event.