South Africa Sports Minister Joins The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Boycott Movement | Details Inside
South Africa Sports Minister has urged his side to avoid THIS fixture in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Read below for details.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is 40 days away, but the controversies are taking no stopping, as the South Africa Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, is the latest person to join the boycott movement of the mega event.
Pakistan Cricket Board is under huge pressure of delivering the infrastructure of the stadiums in-time, but the latest issue does not revolve around the infrastructure, rather, it is a movement in concern with Women's Cricket.
The Taliban Government has banned the Women's Cricket and all of their sports in their country, and Gayton McKenzie has urged his compatriots to boycott the match against Afghanistan for the same reason.
The statement comes in as a protest against Afghanistan, and not the entire tournament, which is being co-hosted by Pakistan and UAE.
Gayton McKenzie's Official Statement On SA Vs AFG, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match
"To be clear, the ICC has accepted the principle of equality in sport, and that member nations should be developing both male and female players. This does not happen in the case of Afghanistan, suggesting that political interference in the administration of sport is being tolerated there. In the same breath, Sri Lanka was banned in 2023 for political interference."
"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."
"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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