The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is now a little more than a month away, however, on the other hand, the controversies are proliferating at an alarming rate, as the Minister for Sports in South Africa, Gayton McKenzie, is the latest to support the boycott of the International Cricket Council mega event.

Pakistan Cricket Board is under huge pressure of delivering organic infrastructures for the Multi National cricketing event while the latest issue has nothing to do with physical assets of the stadium, but rather an activism movement concerning Women’s Cricket.

The Taliban Government has prohibited the Women’s Cricket and all other sporting activities for them in their motherland together with that Gayton McKenzie has encouraged his country people to join him in boycotting the match with Afghanistan for the same reason.

The Taliban has banned women in Afghanistan from playing cricket and, therefore, the worldwide sport only is. This statement is a gesture of appeasement to Afghans while the convite is for international cricket. The international tournament is co hosted by Pakistan and UAE.

"At the outset, I would like to say that the ICC has incorporated the principle of equality in in sports, and that member countries are to cater development for both men and women athletes. This currently does not take place in Afghanistan, which hints that there is some degree of political influence in the governance of sports there. On the same note, Sri Lanka was banned in 2023 over political interference. "

"I do realize that the ICC, just like many international sport s mother bodies, claims that it does not allow political involvement in the governance of sport, yet clearly this is not the case in Afghanistan. As the Sports Minister, it is not within my purview to decide whether South Africa is obliged to fulfill their cricket commitments with regards to Afghanistan."

"I would certainly oppose such an ambition. As a person from a background where equal participation in sport was not allowed during the apartheid laws, it would be unfair and unethical for me to simply ignore the same disrespect done towards women across the globe today."

"South African cricket, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to ponder for sometime on what is the image and message that the game of cricket is wish to relay to the world especially to the female sports participants."

“I Trust that all those concerned in cricket, the fans, players and the administrators, will lend their full support to the women of Afghanistan as activists as well.”