England's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan will go ahead, despite calls for a boycott. A cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, was sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) asking for England to refuse to play in response to the Taliban's human rights record.

England will play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy later this month despite calls from British politicians to boycott the match over the Taliban regime's curtailment of women's rights. More than 160 British politicians had called for a boycott as female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

Jos Buttler still holds a special place in his heart for ODIs, so much so that the England captain believes winning the 50-over World Cup ranks higher than its T20 equivalent. The so-called ‘middle’ format has been squeezed to the margins,

I’m unsure about ODI’s future'- Jos Buttler on T20 and Test matches being marginalized over One-day cricket (Photo Source - Sky Sports) The first ODI on February 06 will mark the commencement of the three-match series between India and England before the all-important ICC Champions Trophy approaches.