England opt out of Pakistan tour: Details here
In a major development, England have withdrawn from their limited-overs leg in Pakistan that was due to take place in October. Both men's and women's sides were scheduled to tour Pakistan. The tour was said to be in doubt after New Zealand Cricket abandoned their Pakistan tour over security concerns. They were in Pakistan to play three ODIs and five T20Is.
ECB had sent ESI Risk's David Snare to Pakistan
Earlier, the ECB had sent ESI Risk's David Snare to Pakistan to review the security arrangements in the nation. He had presented no alarming issues in his report. Thereafter, the board confirmed that the English contingent would travel to Pakistan.
Here is the official statement
"We agreed to play two additional T20 World Cup warm-up games in Pakistan in October, adding a short women's tour with double headers alongside the men's games," an official ECB statement said. "The ECB Board convened this weekend to discuss these extra England Women's and Men's games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams."
Mental and physical well-being remains our priority: ECB
The ECB is keen on prioritizing the well-being of players and the support staff. "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 living in. We know there are increasing concerns about traveling to the region. Going ahead will add pressure to the playing group," it added.
NZ had canceled their series over security concerns
New Zealand's white-ball series in Pakistan was abandoned on Friday, owing to security concerns. The development came moments before the toss of the first ODI. Notably, the players and support staff were told to stay inside their rooms in Rawalpindi. The PCB maintained there were foolproof security arrangements in place. After that, it was reported that England might also cancel their series.
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England (men) were due to play two T20Is in Pakistan
England (men's side) were due to play two T20Is on October 13 and 14 in Pakistan as a lead-up to the T20 WC, starting October 17 in the UAE. Meanwhile, the women's side were scheduled to play two T20Is and three ODIs in the nation.
England (men's team) last toured Pakistan in 2005
England's men's team last toured Pakistan in 2005. They lost the Test (0-2) and ODI series (2-3) respectively. Prior to that, England had visited the nation in 2000 when they won the Test series 1-0. Overall, England have won 15 and lost 16 internationals in Pakistan. On the other hand, England's women's team has never toured Pakistan.
