McKenzie has urged his country’s cricket governing body not to sanction the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan on February 21.

South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has backed calls for a boycott of Afghanistan at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, joining British politicians in calling for a boycott of the Afghan team. call for england will not play against the South Asian nations in next month’s tournament.

“Cricket South Africa, other national federations and the International Cricket Council must carefully consider the message that cricket wishes to send to the world, particularly women in sport,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

“As sports minister, I cannot ultimately decide whether South Africa should respect cricket in Afghanistan. If that was my decision, then this would certainly not happen.”

England and South Africa are drawn in the same group as Afghanistan in one-day internationals (ODIs) and have faced pressure to boycott the matches in response to a crackdown on women’s rights since the Taliban government returned to power in August 2021.

South Africa are due to start their Champions Trophy schedule against Afghanistan in Karachi on February 21, but McKenzie has urged South Africa’s cricket governing body not to honor the match.

He added: “As a man from a race that was not allowed equal access to sport during apartheid, it would be disingenuous and immoral to turn a blind eye when women are treated the same way everywhere in the world today.”

More than 160 British politicians have signed a cross-party letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board calling for a boycott of England’s match against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould responded by calling on all member states to adopt a unified approach to Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket.

Australia are another team scheduled to face Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28.

In March last year, Cricket Australia postponed indefinitely the bilateral men’s 2020 series with Afghanistan, citing “the deteriorating human rights of women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”, but they did postpone the World Cup and T20 in India in late 2023. The World Cup match was held last June.

Cricket Australia chief Mike Baird said last month he was “extremely proud of the position we have taken” after they were accused of hypocrisy.

“We have taken a stand and stand proudly where we believe we should be,” he said.