By Mark Gleeson CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said he supported calls for a boycott of Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, adding his voice to those of British politicians who have called on England not to play them next month.

South Africa’s sports minister has joined public calls for the Proteas to boycott the Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan next month.

Despite mounting calls in England and South Africa for their men’s teams to boycott Afghanistan matches in the Champions Trophy 2025, it is highly unlikely that the games will be cancelled. This is primarily because neither team would want to forfeit valuable points in a closely contested,

Seven MPs and peers from Northern Ireland back boycott due to the Taliban's oppression of women.

A group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country's cricket board (ECB) needed to take a stand against the Taliban's crackdown on women.

South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has openly backed the increasing calls to boycott Afghanistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy. His position comes in line with British politicians who have called on England to not play against Afghanistan next month.

England will face Afghanistan in their second group game of the 2025 Champions Trophy, but more than 160 politicians have called for a boycott over the Taliban's outlawing of female sport

England's men's players have the "power" to make their own stand and refuse to play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, says Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi.