“They know the difference between right and wrong’

England faced calls from MPs to boycott today's match over Taliban oppression of women but Trott defended his players

- Ali Martin

A day out from what is a must-win game for both Afghanistan and England, Jonathan Trott, head coach of the former, addressed the issue that is impossible to ignore during this Champions Trophy. The Taliban continues its brutal clampdown on women's rights back in Afghanistan and Trott outlined the position his players find themselves in.

"They know the difference between right and wrong," said Trott, drawing a distinction between a team that play their cricket in exile under the previous Afghan flag and the regime at home. "They are under no illusions about where they have come from and they're very courageous. You see that in their cricket and that's the one thing I've not tried to change at all. They know who they are playing for and representing."

It is not the first time England have met Afghanistan since western forces withdrew from the country in 2021, creating a power vacuum into which the Taliban returned. In the most recent, during the 2023 World Cup, Jos Buttler's men were spun out for a 69-run humbling in Delhi. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, who have since publicly denounced the country's ban on medical education for women, were the match-winners.