Pope withdraws from Afghan league draft amid concerns over treatment of women

England batter Ollie Pope has withdrawn from the draft for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League (APL), which is scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates later this year. His decision comes amid debate over whether English cricketers should participate in the competition because of the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan.Pope was expected to be the only centrally contracted England player in the draft. However, his withdrawal was understood to be his own decision, rather than a direct result of discussions with England director of cricket Rob Key.