The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) plans to express its concerns about the funding of the Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL) at upcoming ICC meetings. This follows calls from Nahida Sapan, captain of the Afghanistan refugee women’s team, for international players to reflect on their participation in the league.
The APL’s player draft occurred on Tuesday, featuring Moeen Ali and Alex Hales among eight English players securing contracts. Set to commence in the UAE on December 27, the league has yet to receive International Cricket Council (ICC) approval. Currently, only three out of five franchises have confirmed owners.
The ICC introduced a new subcommittee earlier this year, tasked with revisiting franchise league regulations with ECB chief executive Richard Gould as a member. This body reviews league criteria, including anti-corruption, anti-doping measures, and crucially, the transparency of franchise ownership.
Bilateral cricket fixtures between England and Afghanistan are off the table due to the Taliban’s oppression of women, a situation described by ECB chair Richard Thompson as “gender apartheid.” This terminology is echoed by both Amnesty International and UN experts regarding Afghanistan’s situation.
The ECB also plans to question league funding at ICC summits in Indonesia. Gould, in a recent interview, raised concerns about the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) financing a men’s league while relying heavily on ICC funding—to the tune of $14 million annually—predominantly supporting their operations. “It doesn’t seem right,” Gould commented to the Cricketer magazine, indicating a potential misuse of funds that could otherwise support Afghan women’s cricket.
The ICC has opted not to comment publicly, maintaining that revenue distribution and the new franchise league are separate matters, following the 2023 board-approved revenue model.
Despite their reservations, the ECB intends to grant No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the eight English players contracted in the APL. This decision is partly to avoid potential legal complications, given the players are not centrally contracted by the ECB. Gould stated that the premature player draft put the ECB in a “difficult position.” They aim to address the players for awareness purposes before the tournament kicks off.
Adding to the dialogue, Nahida Sapan, speaking on the BBC’s Stumped podcast, expressed her disappointment with foreign players participating in the APL. “Foreign players had a real opportunity to stand with millions of Afghan women and girls by choosing not to participate,” she said, advocating for a broader stand on human rights rather than against Afghan men’s cricket.
These discussions are set to continue as the cricket community navigates the complexities surrounding the APL’s launch and its wider implications.
