Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has dismissed political calls to boycott Afghanistan's cricket games on the eve of their first Champions Trophy match. Politicians in England and South Africa urged their cricket authorities to forfeit the Champions Trophy group games against Afghanistan because of the Taliban’s ban on women’s sport and erosion of women’s rights.

Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi on Thursday said calls from other nations for a boycott of their Champions Trophy matches because of the treatment of women by the ruling Taliban will not affect his team.