Cancelled England cricket tour causes outrage

3 years ago 293

English cricket officials provoked an aggravated effect from Pakistan aft withdrawing their men's and women's teams from a limited-over travel to the Asian state adjacent month, citing "increasing concerns" astir travelling to the region.

The determination taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board connected Monday came 3 days aft New Zealand Cricket abandoned its men's team's circuit of Pakistan pursuing a authorities alert that warned of a imaginable onslaught extracurricular Rawalpindi Stadium.

The ECB didn't item immoderate circumstantial information issues successful a connection released aft a committee gathering implicit the weekend, alternatively highlighting "the intelligence and carnal wellbeing of our players and enactment staff."

"We cognize determination are expanding concerns astir travelling to the region," the ECB said, "and judge that going up volition adhd further unit to a playing radical who person already coped with a agelong play of operating successful restricted COVID environments."

Within minutes, Pakistan Cricket Board president Ramiz Raja reacted by saying connected Twitter: "Disappointed with England, pulling retired of their committedness & failing a subordinate of their cricket fraternity erstwhile it needed it most. Survive we volition inshallah."

In the aftermath of the New Zealand team's withdrawal from its circuit connected Friday, Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said helium had nary accusation astir a information menace against the New Zealanders and that Pakistan had fixed New Zealand guarantees that the players would beryllium safe.

According to Ahmed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan that the state had accusation the players could travel nether onslaught extracurricular of the stadium.

England men's and women's teams were scheduled to play each of their matches successful Rawalpindi.

England's men, who were acceptable to play T20s connected October 13 and 14, person not played an planetary successful Pakistan since 2005. The women were to sojourn for the archetypal clip and were owed to play 3 ODIs arsenic good arsenic 2 T20s.

Pakistan was a no-go portion for planetary cricket teams for a decennary aft terrorists attacked the Sri Lanka squad autobus successful Lahore successful 2009. The ambush killed 7 radical and injured respective Sri Lankan cricketers.

International teams resumed touring Pakistan successful 2019.

The ECB said different "complexity" was the imaginable harm a travel to Pakistan could bash to the men's team's preparations for the T20 World Cup, which begins aboriginal successful October.

"We recognize that this determination volition beryllium a important disappointment to the PCB, who person worked tirelessly to big the instrumentality of planetary cricket successful their country," the connection said.

"Their enactment of English and Welsh cricket implicit the past 2 summers has been a immense objection of friendship. We are sincerely atrocious for the interaction this volition person connected cricket successful Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing committedness to our main touring plans determination for 2022."

Pakistan's men's squad visited England to play 3 ODIs and 3 T20s successful July.

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