The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) credibility is at stake if it lets Afghanistan play in the Champions Trophy from 19 February.

I ask why the ICC is happy to ignore its own principles when it comes to Afghanistan.

The ICC’s anti-discrimination policy claims to be ‘one of the toughest in world sport’. It says it, ‘aspires to the highest ethical standards’ and is, ‘committed to protecting everyone in cricket from harassment, abuse and harm.’ The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) claims ‘to protect all cricket played under the auspices of the ICC.’

And yet the Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) has effectively denied women the right to play. Does this not prove that it’s subject to political interference? That it is discriminatory and complicit in the Taliban regime’s policy of brutal misogyny.

In 2021 the Taliban raided the homes of female athletes, and many women cricketers fled Afghanistan for their safety. Now the Afghan women’s team is forced to live in exile in Australia.

Let that sink in – international cricket players fled for their lives, but Afghanistan is still allowed to play.

How can the ICC ever convince fans it’s a genuine champion of the women’s game now? This move will potentially alienate huge numbers of cricket fans. Who wants to support an organisation that appears to turn a blind eye to the Taliban’s appalling erosion of women’s rights?
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On its website the former chair of the ICC, Greg Barclay, says the organisation is committed to ‘using the power of cricket to build a better future.’ And in the past, the ICC has used its vast power to do just this.

From 2000 – 2005 Zimbabwe was suspended by the ICC for political interference in its cricket board.

From 1970 until 1991 South Africa was banned from international cricket because of its refusal to let non-white people play.

Last month, South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie said, ‘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’.

The ICC is the international federation responsible for the global governance of cricket. Its position on South Africa during apartheid helped influence change in the country.
Why not take that stand now, for the women of Afghanistan?

Surely anything short of a ban tells the world the International Cricket Council is happy to ignore its own moral code – that it accepts political interference and extreme discrimination. Is this hypocrisy really the spirit of cricket it claims to uphold?

I want to thank constituents who have written to me regarding the distressing case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who was detained in India in November 2017. 

​Mr Johal was arrested in 2017 after travelling to India for his wedding where he was tortured into making a so-called ‘confession’ to charges carrying the death penalty. He has now been detained for more than four years, is yet to stand trial in any case he stands accused in, and is being held at Delhi’s Tihar jail. He and his family strongly deny the allegations. Efforts to secure his release on bail have failed.

I can only imagine what a distressing time this has been for Mr Johal and his family.

I know that Mr Johal’s family has persistently raised his case with the Government. The Prime Minister has reportedly raised Mr Johal’s case with the Indian Prime Minister on several occasions. However, it is clear that more must be done, and the Prime Minister must officially request Mr Johal’s release.

When a British national has been so gravely mistreated, with no legal basis, the Government must act decisively to negotiate their release. To exert maximum pressure and to ensure a coordinated approach, I will be supporting cross-party efforts towards securing Mr Johal’s release.

Ministers and officials should continue to raise Mr Johal’s case with their Indian counterparts, calling for his release. Representations should also continue in relation to Mr Johal’s reports of torture, delays to legal proceedings, and the importance of Mr Johal’s right to a fair trial. The Foreign Office should also ensure that Mr Johal’s family continue to be informed about his welfare and any developments.

I call on the Prime Minister and the Foreign Office to raise this case with the Indian government  directly as a matter of urgency.

​On the 29th June, there will be an Estimates day debate on the British Council. The financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic means that the British Council will be closing 20 offices around the world. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to take part in the debate, but I do feel strongly about these closures.

The outrageous actions of the Lukashenko regime in Belarus are once again in the spotlight. I've joined the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou to raise awareness of political prisoners in Belarus. Read on to find out more.