England cricketers Ollie Pope, David Willey and Will Smeed have withdrawn from the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) draft amid concerns over the Taliban’s treatment of women in Afghanistan. The decision comes as the participation of English players in the upcoming franchise tournament has sparked debate over the moral responsibilities of cricketers.
Pope, an England Test batter, reportedly withdrew his name before England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) director of cricket Rob Key publicly shared his views on the issue. The APL draft is scheduled to take place on October 24 ahead of the tournament’s inaugural season.
“It becomes a moral judgement, and players have to be prepared to take the right moral stance. Personally, and it’s easy for me to say, I wouldn’t go and play in it, but it’s down, really, for the player to make that decision. Key also expressed his disagreement with the treatment of women in Afghanistan, explaining why he would personally choose not to participate in the tournament. Speaking on the Test Match Special podcast, Malan acknowledged concerns about women’s rights in Afghanistan but maintained that he was comfortable participating if the relevant cricket authorities approved it. “As players, we take our guidance from the ICC and the boards. I have a daughter, I want her to play sport, I want her to get into playing sport and enjoying it, so I fully understand that argument. But at the end of the day, I’m a cricketer.
Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast, Key said the decision ultimately comes down to an individual player’s moral judgement. “Legally, it’s hard to stop players from going over and playing in these competitions,” Key said. ECB chair Richard Thompson had previously described the Taliban’s treatment of women as “gender apartheid” and said the board would need to consider the issue carefully when deciding whether to grant players permission to participate. I need to be able to pay my rent and I need to be able to earn a living while I can, so as long as it’s been approved by the boards, I am happy to go,” Malan said.
