Those involved with England at the 2003 World Cup will feel a sense of unease at history repeating itself as the pressure mounts for a boycott of the Afghanistan fixture at next month’s Champions Trophy.

Fears over the safety of England players while in Pakistan are underpinning English cricket’s refusal to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Taliban-governed Afghanistan.

England’s cricket authorities have rejected calls to boycott an upcoming match against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy over the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls. Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB),