Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, has called on the ICC to "deliver on their own rules" when it comes to women's rights in Afghanistan*, as he weighed into the row over England's scheduled Champions Trophy clash with the country's cricketers next month.

The UK government says the International Cricket Council should "deliver on their own rules" relating to women's participation as the England men's team resist calls to boycott their upcoming match against Afghanistan.

Downing Street asks ICC to ‘deliver on own rules’ over Afghanistan boycott calls - The terms of ICC membership have been directly breached by the abolition of women’s sport in Afghanistan.

The ICC has expressed concern over the situation, especially after poor management during the USA leg of the ICC T20 World Cup last year, which saw substandard facilities on display

Pakistan was originally scheduled to host the entire tournament in three cities – Lahore, Karachi and Rawapindi. However, the country might end up missing out entirely on hosting its first global event since the 1996 World Cup.

Former Pakistan cricket team captain, Younis Khan, has been appointed as the mentor of the Afghanistan team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made the announcement.