On Wednesday, after nearly 160 UK politicians wrote to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) urging them to boycott the ICC Champions Trophy group fixture against Afghanistan to be played in Lahore.

Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, has called on the ICC to "deliver on their own rules" when it comes to women's rights in Afghanistan*, as he weighed into the row over England's scheduled Champions Trophy clash with the country's cricketers next month.

Downing Street has called on the International Cricket Council to “deliver on their own rules” as the England team resists pressure to boycott their forthcoming match against Afghanistan. A cross-party group of over 160 MPs and peers have signed a letter urging the England and Wales Cricket Board to sit out next month’s fixture at the Champions Trophy in Lahore as a moral objection to the Taliban regime’s ongoing assault on women’s rights in the country.

The UK government says the International Cricket Council should "deliver on their own rules" relating to women's participation as the England men's team resist calls to boycott their upcoming match against Afghanistan.