The ultimate virtue signal then. Refuse to play a money losing series but then play when it matters to them.
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[Cricket] ECB And Afghanistan Fixture Boycott
- Thread starter Eeyore
- Start date
Is that how it is working? Or will the players decide? Lazy by me to say government. It is parliamentarians saying don’t play and signing letters (or whatever it was). If parliament doesn’t want them to play then have a vote and make them pull out.
But as yet I have not heard a decent explanation of what difference we think it will actually make.
It's not for the government to decide. It's not for the players to decide. It's 100% down to the ECB to decide not to send a team. As to your second point, what nonsense! Can you really not think of a case where protest has made a difference? Do we still play cricket and rugby against whites only South African teams? Do we still have the corn laws? Do we still have laws against homosexuality? Are women still not allowed to vote (in Britain)? Do we still have Victorian working conditions where workers have no rights? Did all those changes take place because someone in authority just woke up one morning and decided it would be a jolly good thing?
Dearie me, I need a history lesson.
This is a strange post. Where did I say protests did not make a difference? I asked for reasons why this one would work. This is one match in a competition that is going on anyway. It will make sod all difference in my view, which is why I asked for arguments of why this would work.
Comparing it to massive protests that went on for some time vs a one off match is odd. This is completely different. To actually achieve anything we would need to withdraw from the whole competition. Missing one match will just lead to everyone shrugging their shoulders and it is just like England lost one match. Who cares?
To have an impact like the other protest movements you suggest then we would need to get India on board along with Aussies (plus more) and all say we won’t play if Afghanistan are in the competition.
What we are doing will achieve nothing apart from making a few people feel better about themselves - or do you think otherwise?
Let’s be honest even if all teams pulled out then it would just lead to the Afghan men no longer having a side because the taliban won’t care.
The ECB has bottled it and won't pull out of the Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan.
It is a requirement of ICC membership that all countries must have a womens side. Afghanistan refuses to field a womens team so they now have a refugee side, based in Australia, and are being supported by the Australian board. They played their first ever representative game over the weekend against a Cricket Without Borders XI.
The ECB are hiding behind the "it's down to the ICC to do something" excuse. And yet anybody who saw the documentary on the Afghan Refugee XI's first game will have seen that the ICC has no intention of supporting the women's side. The ICC are still paying the Afghan board and all Boards of member countries are supposed to split the money between the mens and womens sides. A letter to the ICC suggesting that half of the money should be held back and paid to the women's refugee team has just been ignored.
The ECB had the opportunity to follow the lead of the Australian cricket board and support the Afghan womens team. Shameful behaviour.
www.skysports.com
It is a requirement of ICC membership that all countries must have a womens side. Afghanistan refuses to field a womens team so they now have a refugee side, based in Australia, and are being supported by the Australian board. They played their first ever representative game over the weekend against a Cricket Without Borders XI.
The ECB are hiding behind the "it's down to the ICC to do something" excuse. And yet anybody who saw the documentary on the Afghan Refugee XI's first game will have seen that the ICC has no intention of supporting the women's side. The ICC are still paying the Afghan board and all Boards of member countries are supposed to split the money between the mens and womens sides. A letter to the ICC suggesting that half of the money should be held back and paid to the women's refugee team has just been ignored.
The ECB had the opportunity to follow the lead of the Australian cricket board and support the Afghan womens team. Shameful behaviour.
Afghanistan cricket boycott: What has happened so far in debate over Champions Trophy fixture?
With England scheduled to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy on 26 February, BBC Sport looks at the background of the debate over whether the match should go ahead.
www.bbc.co.uk
Banned, ignored and still in exile: The story of the Afghanistan women's cricket team who fled for safety
Women in Afghanistan have been banned from sports since Taliban regained control in 2021; Women cricketers have urged the ICC for help to form a refugee team with Amnesty International now adding support. Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing
The ECB has bottled it. What a surprise........not.
keaton
Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
- Nov 18, 2004
- 10,053
The ECB has bottled it and won't pull out of the Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan.
It is a requirement of ICC membership that all countries must have a womens side. Afghanistan refuses to field a womens team so they now have a refugee side, based in Australia, and are being supported by the Australian board. They played their first ever representative game over the weekend against a Cricket Without Borders XI.
The ECB are hiding behind the "it's down to the ICC to do something" excuse. And yet anybody who saw the documentary on the Afghan Refugee XI's first game will have seen that the ICC has no intention of supporting the women's side. The ICC are still paying the Afghan board and all Boards of member countries are supposed to split the money between the mens and womens sides. A letter to the ICC suggesting that half of the money should be held back and paid to the women's refugee team has just been ignored.
The ECB had the opportunity to follow the lead of the Australian cricket board and support the Afghan womens team. Shameful behaviour.
Afghanistan cricket boycott: What has happened so far in debate over Champions Trophy fixture?
With England scheduled to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy on 26 February, BBC Sport looks at the background of the debate over whether the match should go ahead.www.bbc.co.uk
Banned, ignored and still in exile: The story of the Afghanistan women's cricket team who fled for safety
Women in Afghanistan have been banned from sports since Taliban regained control in 2021; Women cricketers have urged the ICC for help to form a refugee team with Amnesty International now adding support. Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing
Would that be the Australian cricket team who played Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup last year? And 50 over world cup the year before? And who don't appear to be boycotting their game in the champions trophy with Afghanistan?
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 9,335
Predictable shit from the ecb.
A question. Is there any sporting or public body, or even person in public life anywhere who would stand up for a point of principle even if it risked costing them money or influence? Im struggling to think of one
A question. Is there any sporting or public body, or even person in public life anywhere who would stand up for a point of principle even if it risked costing them money or influence? Im struggling to think of one
Let me repeat....it is the ICC's rule that member countries MUST support and fund both mens and womens sides. They are failing to apply their own rule.
If the ICC won't do it, then it is down to member Boards to take action by refusing to play the Afghanistan mens side. Let's face it, the Afghan male players could refuse to compete under their national flag in support of their women but coming from the most mysonigistic country in the world, it is no surprise that they haven't.
The Afghan cricket board are still receiving their wedge from the ICC (including the money which is intended to support the women). The ICC have ignored requests to retain some of that money and divert it to the refugee side.
There is apparently a lot of support for the Afghan refugee side in Australia. They are being supported by the ACB, former players and administrators, and the public.
I've posted a few links and there are plenty more around.
We refused to engage in sports against South Africa over apartheid. It didn't stop New Zealand though. So your suggestion that we shouldn't boycott because Australia aren't, holds no historical basis.
keaton
Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
- Nov 18, 2004
- 10,053
That's not what I said . You said we should copy the lead of the Australian cricket board but they haven't and apparently aren't boycotted.
Here's a detailed article on the plight of the Afghan womens refugee cricket team.
tl:dr?
The request made to the ICC for diversion of funding was declined ("It's up to the Afghan Cricket Board")
The request to the ICC to grant the refugee team international recognition has just been ignored
The ECB has bounced the call for a boycott back to the ICC because their dangly bits are not big enough to take unilateral action.
As for the Afghan mens team they are keeping their heads down and their gobs shut but then they would; they are now getting the womens share of the ICC cash.
Afghanistan women's cricket: The refugee team who will not be silenced
The Afghanistan Women's XI played their first match after an evacuation likened to "a Jason Bourne movie", led by three women on the other side of the world.
www.bbc.co.uk
tl:dr?
The request made to the ICC for diversion of funding was declined ("It's up to the Afghan Cricket Board")
The request to the ICC to grant the refugee team international recognition has just been ignored
The ECB has bounced the call for a boycott back to the ICC because their dangly bits are not big enough to take unilateral action.
As for the Afghan mens team they are keeping their heads down and their gobs shut but then they would; they are now getting the womens share of the ICC cash.
Cricket Australia has chosen not to play bilateral matches against Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s human rights restrictions for women and girls since returning to power.
After fleeing Taliban Afghan women's cricket team plays in Australia
A Twenty20 cricket contest featuring a women’s team made up of refugees from Afghanistan who now live in Australia may “only” be an exhibition game, but it could be the beginning of something much more, writes Catherine Ordway.
www.womenonboards.net
keaton
Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
- Nov 18, 2004
- 10,053
I know. But they've still played them in tournaments and will do so again( it appears). Which is what we're talking about.Cricket Australia has chosen not to play bilateral matches against Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s human rights restrictions for women and girls since returning to power.
After fleeing Taliban Afghan women's cricket team plays in Australia
A Twenty20 cricket contest featuring a women’s team made up of refugees from Afghanistan who now live in Australia may “only” be an exhibition game, but it could be the beginning of something much more, writes Catherine Ordway.
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 9,335
I just think, we're too quick to put pressure on these decisions to be made by the players. I don't think it should be up to Afghan or English cricketers to make these decisions.
The ICC (in practice the BCCI) are the ones really at fault for not enforcing their rules. They genuinely don't care about human rights of women in Afghanistan, or presumably anywhere.
I get the point that the ECB could unilaterally make the decision to cancel the fixture, and i'm disappointed they didn't. But I recognise, they are breaching a contract and throwing away certain points and the players will understandably not want to go out in the groups because we boycotted a game
The ICC (in practice the BCCI) are the ones really at fault for not enforcing their rules. They genuinely don't care about human rights of women in Afghanistan, or presumably anywhere.
I get the point that the ECB could unilaterally make the decision to cancel the fixture, and i'm disappointed they didn't. But I recognise, they are breaching a contract and throwing away certain points and the players will understandably not want to go out in the groups because we boycotted a game