Few days ago, New Zealand had cancelled their tour against Pakistan due to the security concerns of the players. Now it is England who have pulled out from their scheduled series against Pakistan. England and Pakistan were supposed to clash heads in two T20 games to warm up for the world cup.
However, the ECB has taken the decision to withdraw the men’s and women’s team from their trip to Pakistan this October. As a result, the Pakistan Cricket Board will have to deal with some huge losses following the abandonment of New Zealand and England.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja expressed his disappointment in public on his twitter handle after England’s withdrawal to play against Pakistan. “Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah. A wake up call for Pak team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses.”
The Cricket Board of England explain the reason for withdrawal from playing in Pakistan in a Statement
Following the announcement of withdrawal from playing against Pakistan, the English Cricket Board put out a statement where they explained the reason behind taking this decision. According to the board, continuing with the scheduled fixtures in Pakistan would distress the players ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“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 travelling 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.”
“There is the added complexity for our Men’s T20 squad. We believe that touring under these conditions will not be ideal preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where performing well remains a top priority for 2021.“
“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. Their support of English and Welsh cricket over the last two summers has been a huge demonstration of friendship. We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022.”
In the end, Pakistan Cricket Board will have to bear a huge loss following this decision by the ECB. Moreover, cricket fans who reside in Pakistan will be highly frustrated after this news.
