Sept 24, 2021: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) kept the players union in the dark about the decision to pull out of Pakistan tour after New Zealand’s similar decision last week to cancel a tour of Pakistan.
The statement was issued by the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP) on Friday. “The players were not consulted about the tour,” the TEPP explained.
The England Cricketers’ Union added that the cricket board informed the players of the decision after the board meeting. “The players were not consulted before the tour was finalized, nor were they taken into the board’s decision to cancel the tour,” he said. The TEPP added: “At no time were the team’s players taken into confidence.”
Addressing the reaction after the decision to cancel England’s tour of Pakistan, the cricketers’ union said: “The ECB’s decision unnecessarily drew criticism for the players.”
On September 20, the ECB canceled a tour of Pakistan after New Zealand dropped their team at the last minute before the series due to “security” concerns.
Regrettably, the ECB said, “We think this decision will be a major disappointment for the PCB, which has worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket to their country.”
However, the ECB said that the “mental and physical well-being” of its players and support staff was their top priority, and that it was even more important given the “times we are living in”.
“We are committed to its impact on cricket in Pakistan and emphasize our continued commitment to our critical touring plan for 2022,” the board said.
Meanwhile, a report by the Times on Thursday said, that the Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, is also “angry” with the ECB over the decision to abandon the Pakistan tour, while ministers believe that the decision has “damaged the relations between the two countries.”
“There were consultations between the ECB and officials from No 10, the Foreign Office and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport before announcing the cancellation of the tour in which the governing body was urged to go ahead as planned,” The Times reported.
“The subsequent decision to ignore those pleas and cancel the tour on the grounds of the physical and mental wellbeing of the players has enraged ministers. They believe it has damaged the work being done to improve relations between the UK and Pakistan at a time when they are particularly important,” it added.
The report also mentioned that PM Johnson is understood to be “angry over the ECB’s decision” to cancel the men’s and women’s white-ball tour to Pakistan next month stating that the prime minister and senior ministers within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office believe that the decision has damaged relations between the UK and the Pakistan government.
On the other hand, the British High Commission in Pakistan too said it did not advise against England’s tour to Pakistan, according to British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner.
“This was a decision made by the ECB, which is independent of the British government, based on concerns for player welfare,” the high commissioner said in a video message a day after England had abandoned their tour to Pakistan.
The British High Commission supported the tour, did not advice against it, and its travel advice for Pakistan has not changed, the ambassador noted.
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