Pakistan Cricket Board fumes as England call off October tour

In another setback for international cricket in Pakistan, the England Cricket Board ( ECB) has called off a tour to the Asian country, just days after New Zealand Cricket announced a similar decision due to “security concerns.” The England and Wales Cricket Board on Monday said the call to withdraw their men’s and women’s teams from a limited-over trip next month had been taken due to “increasing concerns” about travelling to Pakistan.

While New Zealand Cricket had abandoned its men’s team’s tour of Pakistan, citing a government alert that warned of a possible attack outside Rawalpindi Stadium, the ECB’s statement on the pullout focussed  on “the mental and physical wellbeing of our players and support staff.”

“We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region,” the ECB said, “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.”

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja reacted by saying he was disappointed with England for backtracking on their commitment and “failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most.” He tweeted that Pakistan cricket will “survive.”

International cricket returned to Pakistan after a decade in 2019, following a terrorist attack that killed seven people and injured several Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in 2009. The country’s premier T20 tournament, Pakistan Super League, has also featured several international cricketers playing at different venues. 

Following the New Zealand team’s withdrawal announcement on Friday, Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said he had no information about the security threat and New Zealand had ignored guarantees that its players would be safe.

England men’s and women’s teams were scheduled to play all of their matches in Rawalpindi.

The England men’s team, who were set to play T20s on Oct. 13 and 14, had last visited Pakistan in 2005. The women’s team were set to play three ODIs as well as two T20s in their first tour of Pakistan.

The ECB said it understood 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.”

Pakistan’s men’s team visited England to play three ODIs and three T20s in July.