In an empathetic statement, England captain Jos Buttler has expressed his concern for the plight of women in Afghanistan under the current Taliban regime. The situation in Afghanistan has grown increasingly dire for women since the Taliban regained control of the country in August 2021. 

Among the most distressing measures implemented by the Taliban government are the bans on women participating in sports and accessing education and employment opportunities. In the wake of oppression, there were also calls from British lawmakers to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan. 

"I'm taking a lot of advice from lots of experts. I think, credit to Rob Key and the ECB, they've been very, very good at supporting me and all the players and giving us information and education around this and making it an ECB decision," Buttler said during the press conference.

"We're very saddened by the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan at the moment and the struggles that they are facing. But we hope that the game tomorrow can be a source of hope and an enjoyment in what's obviously a tough time at the moment."

"We're really excited about the match. Sport has a great power to unite people and give hope and that's what we hope this game will do." 

After their loss against Australia, the match against Afghanistan for England is a must-win battle if they want to keep themeless alive in the tournament. During their clash at the ODI World Cup 2023, Afghanistan had stunned England by claiming a 69-run win. Talking about that game, Buttler admitted that Afghanistan are a competitive side. 

"Obviously, a very competitive side, have been performing very well, getting better and better over the years and give them lots of respect. Unique style in some senses with some great spin options in Rashid and Noor, obviously two standout guys that we need to prepare really well for. But, as much as we look at the opposition, it's about focusing on ourselves, bringing the best version of our cricket and being confident that that will be enough to win the game," s