Govt. minister says England should play Afghanistan, despite growing calls for boycott amid women’s rights concerns

This handout photo, released by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on January 8, 2025, shows Pakistan’s Younis Khan (right) during a practice session in Dubai on April 7, 2022. Afghanistan hire Younis Khan as mentor for Champions Trophy, according to the Afghan cricket board. (ACB)
This handout photo, released by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on January 8, 2025, shows Pakistan’s Younis Khan (right) during a practice session in Dubai on April 7, 2022. Afghanistan hire Younis Khan as mentor for Champions Trophy, according to the Afghan cricket board. (ACB)
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Updated 10 January 2025
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Govt. minister says England should play Afghanistan, despite growing calls for boycott amid women’s rights concerns

Govt. minister says England should play Afghanistan, despite growing calls for boycott amid women’s rights concerns
  • The ICC’s policy requires nations granted Test-playing status, which Afghanistan was given in 2017, to support women’s cricket

LONDON: World cricket’s governing body is coming under increasing scrutiny for its stance on Afghanistan’s inclusion in the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament, despite the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights and sports participation.

The International Cricket Council has so far resisted calls to ban Afghanistan’s men’s team or press the Taliban regime to uphold its own rules surrounding the establishment of a women’s cricket team, citing a strategy to influence change through engagement.

The ICC’s policy requires nations granted Test-playing status, which Afghanistan was given in 2017, to support women’s cricket.

However, Afghanistan was accepted as a full member without an already functional women’s cricket program, citing religious and cultural reasons.

Despite efforts by the Afghanistan Cricket Board to establish a women’s team in 2020 “adhering to the traditional Afghan and Islamic values,” the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021 halted progress, with women and girls increasingly banned from sports and public life since.

More than 160 British MPs and peers have recently called for the England and Wales Cricket Board to boycott their match against Afghanistan, set to be played next month in Pakistan, Sky News reported.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to commit to such action, but said: “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in touch with our international counterparts on this issue. I welcome the England and Wales Cricket Board making strong representations to the International Cricket Council on Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team.”

South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also supported calls for a boycott, but Cricket South Africa has deferred to the ICC, emphasizing adherence to tournament regulations.

However, British Culture and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has rejected the idea of a boycott, stating that such actions could penalize athletes and alienate fans.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Nandy said: “I’m instinctively cautious about boycotts in sports. I think they deny sports fans the opportunity that they love, and they can also very much penalize the athletes and the sports people who work very, very hard to reach the top of their game and then they’re denied the opportunities to compete.

“They are not the people that we want to penalize for the appalling actions of the Taliban against women and girls,” she added.

Instead, Nandy pointed to diplomatic measures to bring about change, highlighting past UK efforts to withhold symbolic support at sporting events, such as avoiding dignitary attendance at the Winter Olympics in China.

“When China hosted the Winter Olympics, I was very vocal, many of us were very vocal about making sure that we didn’t send dignitaries to that event, that we didn’t give them the PR coup that they were looking for when they were forcibly incarcerating the Uighurs in Xinjiang,” she said.

The ICC has reiterated its commitment to engaging with Afghanistan to foster inclusivity in cricket.

“The ICC remains closely engaged with the situation in Afghanistan and continues to collaborate with our members,” a spokesperson told Sky News.

“We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan.

“The ICC has established an Afghanistan Cricket Task Force, chaired by deputy chairman Mr. Imran Khwaja, who will lead the ongoing dialogue on this matter,” they added.

However, the ICC’s approach has drawn sharp criticism from Afghan women’s rights activists.

Khalida Popal, former captain of Afghanistan’s women’s football team, expressed disappointment in the governing bodies’ lack of action.

“The governing bodies have failed to stand by their own policies. There’s clear gender discrimination in sport, and they’ve ignored the women of Afghanistan,” she told Sky News.

England’s match against Afghanistan remains scheduled, and the ICC continues to engage with the ACB. But the Champions Trophy, set to take place next month, has become a focal point for global scrutiny of Afghanistan’s policies and the ICC’s role in upholding its principles.


Maguire heads late winner and Man United beat Leicester in dramatic FA Cup tie

Maguire heads late winner and Man United beat Leicester in dramatic FA Cup tie
Updated 08 February 2025
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Maguire heads late winner and Man United beat Leicester in dramatic FA Cup tie

Maguire heads late winner and Man United beat Leicester in dramatic FA Cup tie
  • There was a heated debate over whether the England center half was in an offside position but there is no VAR in the FA Cup and the goal stood
  • he result marked the first time in United’s history that the club has won three times at home against the same team in the same season

MANCHESTER, England: Harry Maguire scored a controversial injury time winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Leicester 2-1 and move into the last 16 of the FA Cup on Friday.

United went behind to a Bobby De Cordova-Reid goal four minutes before halftime. Joshua Zirkzee equalized in the 68th minute and Maguire grabbed the late winner.

There was a heated debate over whether the England center half was in an offside position but there is no VAR in the FA Cup and the goal stood.

“This (loss) wasn’t necessary,” an unhappy Leicester coach Ruud van Nistelrooy told broadcaster ITV.

“This was half a meter (offside). Then extra time, stay in the game, you never know what happens. We deserved to go into extra time and maybe penalties. Decisions like these in our level are hard to swallow.”

The result marked the first time in United’s history that the club has won three times at home against the same team in the same season. United beat Leicester 5-2 in the League Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

The result was a fillip for new coach Ruben Amorim and a bitter letdown for Van Nistelrooy, who was the interim manager at United before being moved on and taking charge at Leicester.

Leicester, a one-time FA Cup champion, started brighter and was 1-0 up at the break. Manuel Ugarte was dispossessed near the touchline and Bilai El Khannouss’ low cross was hit goal-bound by Wilfred Ndidi but deflected in off De Cordova-Reid.

The introduction of substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Zirkzee lifted United in the second half and Zirkzee got the equalizer with the simplest of finishes after good work from the Argentine down the left flank.

Then, just as the game looked like going into extra time, Bruno Fernandes threw a long ball into the box for Maguire to head the winner.

“(It was a) great finish to the game,” Maguire said. “The second half we played a lot better. The first half was nowhere near good enough, we played at a slow tempo and we didn’t really get going.

“He (Garnacho) made a big impact. He always does that when he comes off the bench, so credit to him, he’s ready, he’s focused.”
 


Meronk clings to two-shot lead, Legion XIII dominate team leaderboard at LIV Golf Riyadh

Meronk clings to two-shot lead, Legion XIII dominate team leaderboard at LIV Golf Riyadh
Updated 08 February 2025
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Meronk clings to two-shot lead, Legion XIII dominate team leaderboard at LIV Golf Riyadh

Meronk clings to two-shot lead, Legion XIII dominate team leaderboard at LIV Golf Riyadh
  • Meronk followed his opening 10-under 62 with a 6-under 66 to grab a two-shot lead over Torque GC’s Sebastian Muñoz
  • Legion XIII’s 18 under total moves them to 42 under for the first two rounds, giving the foursome an 11-stroke advantage over Torque GC

RIYADH: Jon Rahm and his Legion XIII teammates each enter Saturday’s final round at LIV Golf Riyadh presented by Ma’aden with an outside chance to capture the individual title. 

In terms of the team competition, though, Legion XIII already has one collective foot atop the podium. 

Legion XIII extended their team lead to a commanding 11 strokes in Friday night’s second round at Riyadh Golf Club, shooting the field’s best team score for the second consecutive night.

Their 18 under total moves them to 42 under for the first two rounds, giving the foursome an 11-stroke advantage over Torque GC. 

“Extremely proud,” Rahm said of his team’s dominant start in the season opener. “I don’t know what else to add to that. Obviously yesterday was a fantastic start and it didn’t take very long today, either, for the whole team to get going.” 

Individually, Legion XIII players make up 50 percent of the top eight players on the leaderboard. Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt each shot 5-under 67s on Friday and are tied for fourth at 11 under. Rahm also shot 67 and newcomer Tom McKibbin shot 69, as each finished at 10 under and in a three-way tie for 6th. 

Cleeks GC’s Adrian Meronk backed up his opening 10-under 62 with a 6-under 66 to grab a two-shot lead over Torque GC’s Sebastian Muñoz.

Ripper GC’s Lucas Herbert is in solo third at 12 under after his 64 on Friday, the low round of the day. 

Catching Meronk seems like a tall ask, giving his form the first two days. But Legion XIII will have plenty of chances with four players in contention in the first tournament since a format change to all scores counting on each round.

No team has swept the podium since Stinger GC pulled off the feat in the 2022 inaugural LIV Golf event in London. 

“I think if we all focus on trying to win individually and give it the best shot we can to do that, I think we can put a strong enough performance where we’d be hard to catch,” Rahm said of his team’s large lead. “But we still have to go out there tomorrow and take care of it. Nothing is guaranteed until the last putt drops.”

Although Meronk didn’t match his flawless performance in the opening round when he hit all 18 greens, the 31-year-old from Poland relied on his putting, needing just 26 putts. 

With Muñoz nipping at his heels, Meronk never surrendered the lead. At the par-3 17th, he extended it to two shots with a 15-foot birdie putt while Muñoz followed by missing a 5-footer for birdie. 

“I played quite solid,” said Meronk, whose only bogey this week came at the par-4 11th. “I had a couple of bad swings, but overall, I’m very happy with the result and excited for tomorrow.” 

Muñoz matched Meronk’s 66 and has the field’s hottest putter, needing just 51 putts through the first two rounds. “I’m just going to try to shoot as low as possible, make as many birdies as possible like I’ve been doing the last two days and see what happens on the 18th green,” Muñoz said. “There’s no other strategy than that.” 

Meronk and Muñoz have each celebrated LIV Golf wins as members of winning teams but not as individuals. That could change on Saturday for one of them. 

“It would be special for sure, especially the first of the year,” Meronk said. “But I don’t want to focus on that. My only focus tomorrow will be just one shot at a time and playing my best golf as possible, and we’ll see what happens.” 
 


Maguire heads late winner and Man United beats Leicester in dramatic FA Cup match

Maguire heads late winner and Man United beats Leicester in dramatic FA Cup match
Updated 08 February 2025
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Maguire heads late winner and Man United beats Leicester in dramatic FA Cup match

Maguire heads late winner and Man United beats Leicester in dramatic FA Cup match
  • The result marked the first time in United’s history that the club has won three times at home against the same team in the same season

MANCHESTER, England: Harry Maguire scored a controversial injury time winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Leicester 2-1 and move into the last 16 of the FA Cup on Friday.
United went behind to a Bobby De Cordova-Reid goal four minutes before halftime. Joshua Zirkzee equalized in the 68th minute and Maguire grabbed the late winner.
There was a heated debate over whether the England center half was in an offside position but there is no VAR in the FA Cup and the goal stood.
“This (loss) wasn’t necessary,” an unhappy Leicester coach Ruud van Nistelrooy told broadcaster ITV.
“This was half a meter (offside). Then extra time, stay in the game, you never know what happens. We deserved to go into extra time and maybe penalties. Decisions like these in our level are hard to swallow.”
The result marked the first time in United’s history that the club has won three times at home against the same team in the same season. United beat Leicester 5-2 in the League Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
The result was a boost for new coach Ruben Amorim and a bitter letdown for Van Nistelrooy, who was the interim manager at United before being moved on and taking charge at Leicester.
Leicester, a one-time FA Cup champion, was 1-0 up at the break. Manuel Ugarte was dispossessed near the touchline and Bilai El Khannouss’ low cross was hit goal-bound by Wilfred Ndidi but deflected in off De Cordova-Reid.
The introduction of substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Zirkzee lifted United in the second half and Zirkzee got the equalizer with the simplest of finishes after good work from the Argentine player down the left flank.
Then, just as the game looked like going into extra time, Bruno Fernandes threw a long ball into the box for Maguire to head the winner.
“(It was a) great finish to the game,” Maguire said. “The second half we played a lot better. The first half was nowhere near good enough, we played at a slow tempo and we didn’t really get going.
“He (Garnacho) made a big impact. He always does that when he comes off the bench, so credit to him, he’s ready, he’s focused.”


Kane hits brace as Bayern beat Bremen to move nine clear

Kane hits brace as Bayern beat Bremen to move nine clear
Updated 08 February 2025
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Kane hits brace as Bayern beat Bremen to move nine clear

Kane hits brace as Bayern beat Bremen to move nine clear
  • Kane was key in winning Bayern’s first penalty and breaking down Bremen’s stubborn resistance
  • Leroy Sane tapped in a Konrad Laimer cross from close range for Bayern’s second in the 82nd minute

MUNICH: Harry Kane scored two penalties as Bayern Munich beat Werder Bremen 3-0 on Friday to go nine points clear of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
There were few chances in the first half but Kane signalled his intent 30 seconds after the break, rattling the crossbar with a shot from outside the box.
Kane was key in winning Bayern’s first penalty and breaking down Bremen’s stubborn resistance.
The England captain tussled with defender Anthony Young and headed a chipped cross against the Bremen man’s arm, which was slightly extended.
The England captain stepped up and converted the spot kick, sending goalkeeper Michael Zetterer the wrong way.
Leroy Sane tapped in a Konrad Laimer cross from close range for Bayern’s second in the 82nd minute.
In stoppage time, Young was again deemed guilty of a foul in the box, this time on Jamal Musiala.
Kane stepped up and converted, bringing his penalty streak to 29 in a row for club and country.
The former Spurs striker now has 21 goals in 19 league games for Bayern this season, including nine penalties.
Defending champions Leverkusen travel to Wolfsburg on Saturday and can cut Bayern’s lead back to six points with a win.
Bayern play away at Leverkusen next week in a match bookended by a two-legged Champions League knockout tie against Celtic.
Bremen fought hard but were undermanned, on and off the field.
Coach Ole Werner along with defenders Niklas Stark and Marco Friedl were all missing due to red cards in the 1-0 home win against in-form Mainz last time out, while attackers Leonardo Bittencourt and Romano Schmid were sidelined with muscle strains.
Despite the loss, Bremen sit eighth, one point behind the European placings, as they bid for a return to continental competition for the first time since 2010-11.


Desert Vipers storm into ILT20 final with commanding win over Sharjah Warriorz

Desert Vipers storm into ILT20 final with commanding win over Sharjah Warriorz
Updated 07 February 2025
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Desert Vipers storm into ILT20 final with commanding win over Sharjah Warriorz

Desert Vipers storm into ILT20 final with commanding win over Sharjah Warriorz
  • Vipers face Dubai Capitals on Sunday after impressive victory

SHARJAH: Desert Vipers delivered a dominant all-round performance to cruise past Sharjah Warriorz by seven wickets in Qualifier 2 of the DP World ILT20 on Friday, setting up a final clash against Dubai Capitals.

Chasing 163 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the Vipers made light work of the target, reaching it with 20 balls to spare. Openers Max Holden (48) and Alex Hales (47) set the tone with aggressive stroke play before captain Sam Curran finished the chase in style with a blistering 15-ball 34.

Having finished as runners-up in the tournament’s inaugural season, the Vipers will now be determined to go all the way when they meet Dubai Capitals in the final on Sunday.

Sharjah Warriorz got off to a dream start when Adam Milne bowled Rahmanullah Gurbaz for just three in the opening over with a superb inswinging delivery. However, Hales responded with a flurry of boundaries, including four consecutive fours off Dilshan Madushanka in the fourth over, as the Vipers raced to 54 for one by the end of the powerplay.

Hales continued his assault, smashing Karim Janat for three successive boundaries before Madushanka finally got his revenge, dismissing the Englishman for a rapid 47 off 29 balls. Despite that breakthrough, Holden kept the momentum going with clean hitting, ensuring the Vipers remained in control at 92 for two after 10 overs.

Just when Holden looked set to steer his side home, Milne struck again, dismissing him for a well-compiled 48. However, with just 46 runs required from the final seven overs, Curran took charge, the Vipers’ skipper unleashing a brutal display of hitting, striking two fours and two sixes, including a massive shot over midwicket, to seal victory in emphatic fashion.

Earlier, Sharjah Warriorz struggled for early momentum after losing Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Johnson Charles within the first three overs. Charles briefly threatened with a six and a four off Mohammad Amir but fell soon after for 16.

Jason Roy provided some stability, striking a series of boundaries and forming a crucial 43-run partnership with Tim Seifert. However, the Vipers’ bowlers continued to chip away, with Nathan Sowter deceiving Seifert (15) with a slower delivery and later removing Matthew Wade (6) with a brilliant leg-break.

Roy fought valiantly, bringing up his half-century in 34 balls, but his departure in the final over — coupled with a stunning cameo from Janat, who smashed four sixes in the last two overs — meant the Warriorz could only muster 162 for seven.

Reflecting on the defeat, Tim Southee, skipper of Sharjah Warriorz, admitted his side fell short with the ball.

He said: “It was a tough one. We knew the wicket would skid on later, but we needed to bowl better. The Vipers changed their pace well and executed their plans perfectly. Jason (Roy) played exceptionally well, but overall it was disappointing not to defend our total.”

Meanwhile, Player of the Match Hales was delighted with his contribution, saying: “It feels great. The pitch was playing well, and I’m happy I could time the chase perfectly. We kept it simple, watched the ball until the last moment, and played to our strengths. Now we’re fully focused on the final.”