England tour of Pakistan 2021 (Cancelled) News

Former cricketers players have criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and called the decision of calling off the scheduled tour of Pakistan an act of double standards and hypocrisy. The ECB called off the tour citing anxiousness of the players who were to travel and live in a “controlled environment” before the big tournament such as the ICC World T20 and the observers of the game pointed out that they could have sent players who would have shown willingness to play in Pakistan in place of outright cancellation. As per an ESPNcricinfo report, the ECB did not cancel the tour based on the “security threat” that had led to New Zealand’s departure from Pakistan last week, but the decision was taken considering the anxiousness related to the tour. Former cricketers such as Michael Vaughan and Wasim Jaffer supported the statement of the newly-elected chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who did not hide the “disappointment” on England’s refusal to travel. They pointed out the tour of England Pakistan had embarked upon to help the ECB’s trim the financial implications of the pandemic while the UK was reeling under a severe wave of Covid-19 last year and criticised the ECB for not being grateful and not offering reciprocal support. Also, the ECB and NZC’s decision to carry on with the ongoing series between England Women and New Zealand Women even after a reported “bomb threat” also highlighted the double standards of the ECB. Opinions are divided among the fans and experts of the game on the issue of whether the ECB took the right decision to call off the tour, but it was widely accepted that the PCB deserved better treatment from the ECB. Some of the experts also argue that the relationship between the ECB and the PCB can hit a new low in the near future and the PCB can also go as far as cancelling the next tour by England scheduled for next year and call on a “reliable” partner to make up for the losses.

England and Wales Cricket Board has refused to cancel their tour of Pakistan even as the New Zealand Cricket unilaterally abandoned their tour of the South Asian nation earlier today (September 17, 2021). The ECB said that they would take a decision on the tour once they receive the feedback from their security team which is already on the ground in Pakistan. “We’re aware of New Zealand’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour due to a security alert. We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation,” Sky Sports quoted ECB as saying. “The ECB Board will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed,” the board added. It was announced last year after Pakistan toured England during the Covid-19 pandemic that England would be reciprocating the goodwill by touring Pakistan for the first time in 15 years. In fact, both the men’s and women’s teams of England are supposed to tour Pakistan for separate series in October. While the Men’s team would play two T20Is on October 14th and 15th the England Women’s would be indulged in a two-match T20I series as well as a three-match ODI series against Pakistan Women that will go on from October 14th to 22. All the matches would be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.