Three England cricketers have withdrawn from the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL) draft as criticism grows over English players taking part in the tournament.

According to media reports, Ollie Pope, who captained England last summer, Will Smeed and David Willey have all removed their names from the draft, which is scheduled for October 24.

The withdrawals follow scrutiny of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Reports said that the board planned to grant No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players who wanted to join the APL. The ECB has refused to play bilateral cricket with Afghanistan in protest at the Taliban government’s treatment of women.

ECB chair Richard Thompson said last week that the board must “think very carefully” before it issues NOCs. He added that UK restraint-of-trade laws could make it harder to stop players from joining overseas competitions.

Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, urged players on Monday to “take the right moral stance”. He said he would speak to Pope, who recently signed a new one-year central contract, about his decision to enter the draft. International media reported that Pope had already withdrawn before Key spoke publicly.

Agents often register players for franchise leagues, so some cricketers may not have known they were entered until the controversy began.

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi is among those who have criticised the situation.

Key spoke on the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast and condemned the treatment of women in Afghanistan. He said that he did not support the situation in the country.

“Legally, it’s hard to stop players from going over and playing in these competitions. It becomes a moral judgement, and players have to be prepared to take the right moral stance,” Key said.

“Personally, and it’s easy for me to say, I wouldn’t go and play in it, but it’s down, really, for the player to make that decision.”

Former England batter Dawid Malan remains registered for the draft. He defended his potential participation on the same podcast and said players rely on their governing bodies for direction.

“As players, we take our guidance from the ICC and the boards,” Malan said.

Malan said that he understood the concerns about restrictions on women in Afghanistan and mentioned his own daughter.

“I have a daughter, I want her to play sport, I want her to get into playing sport and enjoying it, so I fully understand that argument,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, I’m a cricketer. I need to be able to pay my rent and I need to be able to earn a living while I can, so as long as it’s been approved by the boards, I am happy to go.”

The league’s future also looks uncertain. International media reported last week that only three of the five franchises have been sold. One source described the league’s prospects as “touch and go”.

The tournament is due to begin in the United Arab Emirates on December 27, although it is unclear whether it will go ahead as planned.