Jos Buttler, England's captain, said that his team were "very saddened" by the situation faced by women and girls in Afghanistan, which the ECB described as "gender apartheid" when confirming earlier this month that Wednesday's game will go ahead.

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has expressed his support for Afghan womens rights to play cricket but also acknowledged that they can only control things on the ground, not politics.

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has expressed his support for Afghan women's rights to play cricket but also acknowledged that they can only control things on the ground, not politics. Since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan in 2021,

Afghanistan cricket team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has backed Afghan women's right to play the sport. However, he stressed that the matter was out of his hands. Shahidi's remarks came during a training session ahead of Afghanistan's ICC Champions Trophy match against England in Lahore on Wednesday.

Afghanistan men’s cricket team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi made it clear on Tuesday that women in his country should be allowed to play the game though he said it was beyond his control in a nation governed by strict religious laws.

A group of British lawmakers had also reportedly urged the England cricket team to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan, a request the ECB denied.

Hashmatullah Shahidi on women's cricket in Afghanistan. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Afghanistan captain has expressed his support for Afghan women to play cricket but mentioned that the situation is beyond his control.

While expressing his support for Afghanistan's women's cricket rights, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi reaffirmed that "we cannot control" the issue.