The England Cricket Board are now unsure about their upcoming tour to Pakistan after the Kiwi cricket board call of their tour due to security concerns in Pakistan. The tour was called off moments ahead of the first ODI in Rawalpindi. England’s men and women teams are currently due to play two T20Is in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14, with the women due to stay on for a three-match ODI series as well.
Meanwhile, after seeing the New Zealand Cricket board pull out from the tour, the ECB has said that they will announce a decision on the future of the tour in the next “24-48 hours” as per reports in ESPN Cricinfo.
“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. The ECB Board will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed”an ECB spokesperson said.
ECB Put Pakistan Tour On Hold
The chances of England going ahead with their proposed tour to Pakistan in October have appeared to have receded sharply#PAKvNZ | #PAKvENG
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 17, 2021
Meanwhile, a New Zealand board official also came up with a statement after the side decided to abandon the series.
“Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour” said the board official.
England was set to tour Pakistan for the first time since 2005. However, the recent security issues in Pakistan has brought the series and the tour in jeopardy.
NZ Will Hear Us At ICC : PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja
Ramiz Raja is not a happy man today. https://t.co/mMep3H62CA | #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/qoxW1J1yCt
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 17, 2021
Newly elected PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja was disappointed on how the New Zealand cricket board decided to abandon the series without even consulting with the PCB. The tour, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, was supposed to start today, with the first ODI in Rawalpindi.
“Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it is not shared! Which world is NZ living in? NZ will hear us at ICC” said Raja.
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