England face a critical Champions Trophy clash against Afghanistan on Wednesday with Jos Buttler’s captaincy hanging in the balance while he also spoke out on women’s rights in the Taliban-occupied country.
The match in Lahore has become a must-win encounter for England following their opening defeat to Australia.
Buttler’s side have lost five consecutive ODIs, part of a dismal run that has seen them surrender both white-ball World Cups.
England’s recent form has been nothing short of disastrous, with 17 losses in their last 24 ODIs.
Jos Buttler admitted he feels ‘sad’ for the women of Afghanistan
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Buttler has won just 12 of 33 matches as permanent captain since replacing Eoin Morgan in 2022.
This alarming decline has seen England relinquish both their 50-over and T20 World Cup titles in quick succession.
After last year’s failures, Buttler admitted he feared being sacked by Rob Key, England’s director of men’s cricket.
Afghanistan will be a particularly dangerous opponent, having shocked England with a 69-run victory in their last 50-over meeting at the 2023 World Cup.
That historic first win over England saw Afghanistan’s spinners dominate, with Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman sharing six wickets.
While Mujeeb is absent from the current squad, Rashid and left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad remain significant threats.
The match has been overshadowed by political controversy regarding women’s rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban took power in 2021, with restrictions also placed on women working and girls’ education.
A group of 160 British MPs urged England to boycott the fixture, with ECB chair Richard Thompson describing the situation as “gender apartheid”.
Buttler addressed the controversy directly on the eve of the match, acknowledging the difficult situation in Afghanistan.
“We’re very saddened by the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan at the moment and the struggles that they are facing,” he said.
There were calls for England to boycott their match against Afghanistan
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“But we hope that the game tomorrow can be a source of hope and enjoyment in what’s obviously a tough time.”
Tuesday’s washout between Australia and South Africa has clarified England’s path forward in the tournament.
Barring further rain affecting Group B, England must win their final two matches to guarantee a semi-final place.
The draw means England can avoid net run-rate calculations if they secure victories against both Afghanistan and South Africa.
A defeat, however, would see Buttler’s men eliminated at the earliest opportunity.
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England and Jos Buttler are under immense pressure
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England will make just one change from their defeat to Australia, with Jamie Overton replacing injured fast bowler Brydon Carse.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been ratified as Carse’s replacement but will only arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday morning.
Afghanistan are expected to field the same XI that lost to South Africa, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi noting that “the England team struggles a bit against spinners”.
Buttler candidly admitted the high personal stakes ahead of the Afghanistan clash.
“Any time as an England captain, you want to perform well and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket,” he said.
“As soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you try to completely flip that and focus on all the positive things that could go right.”