“Not for me to make the final decision” - South Africa’s sports minister wants Proteas to boycott 2025 Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan

South Africa's sports minister Gayton McKenzie has urged the men's cricket team to boycott their match against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

His request comes on the back of the Taliban government's ban on women's sports in Afghanistan. They had also disbanded the Afghanistan women's cricket team after coming into power.

South Africa are set to face Afghanistan in their group-stage clash of the Champions Trophy on February 21. McKenzie said that while the decision was not his to make, he would not let the Proteas play Afghanistan if it was his call.

“It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa should honor cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen," he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“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,” he added.

The South African sports minister, terming the International Cricket Council (ICC) as "hypocrite," noted that they had suspended Sri Lanka for their government's interference. However, no such action was taken in Afghanistan's case.

“This does not happen in the case of Afghanistan, suggesting that political interference in the administration of sport is being tolerated there,” he said.

He further added that the cricket boards of other nations, along with the ICC, needed to stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan. He said:

“Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports. I hope that the consciences of all those involved in cricket, including the supporters, players and administrators, will take a firm stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan."

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ECB urged to boycott Afghanistan in Champions Trophy before South Africa

This is not the first instance where a cricket board has been asked to boycott Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Before South Africa, the England Cricket Board (ECB) was also put under pressure to not let their men's team play Afghanistan.

Over 160 British politicians wrote a letter to the ECB, urging them to boycott their clash against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC event. England are set to take on Afghanistan in one of their group-stage matches in Lahore.

However, ECB chief Richard Gould rejected the calls. Gould stated that the ECB will not participate in any bilateral matches with Afghanistan but cannot pull out from playing against them in an ICC event.