British envoy reacts to England's withdrawal from Pakistan tour

ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner on Monday took to Twitter to express dismay over the decision of the England Cricket Board (ECB) to abandon the series against Pakistan following New Zealand’s last-minute withdrawal from the tour of the country due to “security threat”.

Taking to Twitter the UK envoy said: “So sad that ECB cricket have decided not to come to Flag of Pakistan next month. My thanks to PCB and all who worked so hard to get us to this point.”

“Understand the disappointment that all cricket fans will feel; still looking forward to the full England tour in autumn 2022,” he wrote in a tweet.

So sad that @ECB_cricket have decided not to come to 🇵🇰 next month. My thanks to @TheRealPCB &all who worked so hard to get us to this point. Understand the disappointment that all cricket fans will feel; still looking forward to the full England tour in autumn 2022. https://t.co/2Y9jnsPUh6

— Christian Turner (@CTurnerFCDO) September 20, 2021

The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday announced to cancel its scheduled tour of Pakistan for two T20Is in mid-October days after New Zealand had pulled its team out at the last minute due to “security” concerns.

England’s men and women were due to play T20I double-headers in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement said: “Earlier this year, 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.

Read: ENGLAND WITHDRAWS FROM PAKISTAN TOUR AFTER NZ SNUB

“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 from the October trip.

It continued: “There is the added complexity for our Men’s T20 squad. We believe that touring under these conditions will not be ideal preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where performing well remains a top priority for 2021.”

On Friday, New Zealand’s men abandoned their tour of Pakistan due to “security threat”.