Pope Quits Afghanistan T20 League Draft Amid Human Rights Debate

England batter Ollie Pope has withdrawn from the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) draft, as the proposed competition continues to spark debate over the treatment of women and girls under Taliban rule.

Pope was expected to be the only centrally contracted England player in the draft for the league’s inaugural edition, scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates later this year.

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England director of cricket Rob Key had earlier expressed opposition to participating in the tournament, arguing that players must consider the ethical implications of their decisions.

Speaking on the Test Match Special podcast, Key acknowledged that preventing English cricketers from joining overseas competitions could be legally challenging.

“Legally it is hard to stop players going over and playing in these competitions,” he said, adding that players must be prepared to make what they consider the right moral decision.

Key also confirmed that he had discussed the matter with Pope but said the final decision rested with the player.

Pope’s withdrawal comes despite his recent inclusion in England’s 12-month central contract list. The batter has not played international cricket since the third Ashes Test in Australia last December but was recalled to the Test squad for the home series against Pakistan.

The controversy surrounding the APL is linked to the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. The England and Wales Cricket Board has refused to arrange bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, although the two countries have continued to meet at major international tournaments.

Former ECB chair Richard Thompson previously described the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid”.

The proposed league has also attracted criticism from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who previously called for England’s fixture against Afghanistan at the 2025 Champions Trophy to be boycotted. She has questioned whether the International Cricket Council should sanction the competition.

However, former England batter Dawid Malan remains among those entered in the APL draft, alongside Moeen Ali, James Vince and Somerset batter James Rew.

Malan said cricketers faced a difficult choice between their personal views and the need to earn a living, while questioning why players were expected to make decisions that governing bodies had not formally prohibited.

He also highlighted the contrast between England’s refusal to play bilateral series against Afghanistan and its continued participation in international tournaments against the country.

Meanwhile, Dean Ahmad, an agent representing Moeen Ali, called for consistency in how ethical concerns are addressed across sport and international business.

“Morality in sport matters, but so does consistency,” Ahmad wrote on X, arguing that criticism should not focus exclusively on individual cricketers while governments and corporations maintain relationships with countries accused of human rights abuses.

Pope’s decision adds to the debate over whether participation in the Afghanistan Premier League should be treated as a personal professional choice or an ethical issue requiring a broader response from cricket’s governing bodies.