In response to Afghanistan's treatment of women, which includes severe restrictions on women's rights, a group of British lawmakers had previously urged England to boycott the group-stage encounter.

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.