England officially announced that they will be canceling the plan of their men’s and women’s teams next month’s tour of Pakistan. The country’s cricket board (ECB) released the news just three days after New Zealand abandoned their tour after having many security concerns.
The England team was all set to play two Twenty20 international matches on October 13 and 14 in Rawalpindi. The women’s team was due to stay on for a three-match one-day international series from Oct. 17-21.
As per the statement given by “The ECB Board convened to discuss these extra England Women’s and Men’s games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip.”
“The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in.
“We know there are increasing concerns about traveling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments.”
The ECB added that the men’s team touring right now is not ideal preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup which would be starting from next month.
“We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country,” it added.
“We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasize an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022.”
PCB chairman Ramiz Raja stated his disappointment with the ECB’s decision and said that the Pakistan team would “survive”.
Ramiz Raja on the official Twitter account “Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment and failing a member of their cricket fraternity when it needed it most,”
“A wake-up call for Pakistan team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses.”
New Zealand abandoned its tour of Pakistan on Friday. The tour was due to get underway with the first of three one-dayers in Rawalpindi on Friday but the New Zealand team did reach the stadium. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took the decision for the New Zealand Cricket team to not continue the tour. International teams rejected to tour in Pakistan since an attack by Islamist militants on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.
Fans are also scared by the fact that New Zealand’s decision to go home may keep them away and Australia, which was supposed to visit in February-March next year, will also cancel their plans.
A Cricket Australia spokesperson revealed that the organization will “talk with the relevant authorities once more information becomes known”.
