Kolkata: England captain Jos Buttler has expressed his belief that boycotting Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is "not the way to go."
The comment came in response to a question related to political calls in the UK to withdraw from the February 26 match in Lahore due to the Taliban's suppression of women in Afghanistan.
The controversy arose following a letter from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, co-signed by over 160 British politicians, urging the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to take a stand against the "sex apartheid" enforced by the Taliban. The letter demanded England’s men's team protest by boycotting the game.
Responding to the calls, ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould advocated for an ICC-led response, a stance supported by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Sports Secretary Lisa Nandy. Both emphasised that unilateral actions by individual teams could undermine collective efforts to address such issues.
Speaking here, Buttler stated, "Political situations like this require expertise beyond the players. We are in dialogue with Rob Key [ECB men's managing director] and the management to navigate the matter." He reiterated his trust in experts and dismissed the idea of a boycott, saying, "I don't think a boycott is the way to go about it."
Buttler compared the current scenario to England's decision to forfeit a match against Zimbabwe at the 2003 World Cup due to political turmoil under Robert Mugabe. However, he remained confident that no such pressure would fall on individual players this time.
"The players have stayed focused on the game. We’re educating ourselves and relying on expert advice. We hope to compete in the Champions Trophy and have a successful tournament," Buttler concluded.
The ICC Champions Trophy, returning after eight years, has already attracted global attention due to the political and ethical debates surrounding Afghanistan's participation.
