Afghanistan Premier League: Ollie Pope withdraws from draft
England batter Ollie Pope has pulled out of the draft for the Afghanistan Premier League.
TL;DR
- Ollie Pope has withdrawn his name from the draft for the Afghanistan Premier League (APL).
- Rob Key, England's director of cricket, stated he would not play in the APL and finds it morally questionable due to the Taliban's policies on women.
- The ECB has not scheduled bilateral cricket with Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
- Players require a No Objection Certificate from the ECB to participate in the APL.
- Other English cricketers, including Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, James Vince, and James Rew, are entered in the APL draft.
- Players like Dawid Malan acknowledge the moral dilemma but also the need to earn a living.
- Some political figures have called for boycotts of matches against Afghanistan due to human rights concerns.
- An agent criticized 'selective outrage' regarding human rights abuses, pointing out other nations and corporations maintain ties with Afghanistan.