Pakistan helped England in their hour of need and all they received in return was a slap in the face
Writing for Isport, Saj explains why by cancelling the upcoming tour, England have turned their back on a country that has done so much to help them over the past 18 months.
The world of sport has taken a beating from the Covid-19 pandemic as events in all corners of the globe have been cancelled or postponed with devastating effects on sporting bodies and athletes.
The England & Wales Cricket Board has not been immune and last year it was facing up to the potential of a hugely damaging summer without any international cricket.
Thankfully for the ECB, the West Indies and Pakistan stepped up to help their old friends in their hour of need. Both sides put aside fears of international travel at a time when no vaccinations were available and the treatment for Covid-19 infections was still in its infancy.
Global death rates due to the pandemic were hitting new highs with the UK particularly badly affected.
Against the backdrop of those health and safety fears, players from the Caribbean and Pakistan brought international cricket to English grounds last year – along with the millions of pounds in sponsorship and broadcast revenue for the ECB.
At the time, the ECB was gracious in acknowledging the debt of gratitude it owed to both touring nations but did not make any firm commitments in response.
The PCB also refused to hold England to any contractual commitment in terms of a quid pro quo arrangement, asking them merely to “do the right thing” and tour Pakistan at a later stage.
The consensus seemed to be that Pakistan’s sacrifices to bring cricket to English shores would be answered in kind in due course.
Pakistan’s generosity, at a time when most cricketers were telling their respective boards about mental pressures affecting their lives and game, did not stop there however.
Earlier this year Pakistan toured England for a second time during the pandemic to provide the ECB with another chance to fill its coffers in a summer where England was already hosting India.
Full-strength Pakistan teams took to the field to provide the best possible entertainment for live and television audiences in both T20Is and ODIs.
The Pakistan effort was even more commendable given the outbreak of Covid-19 in the England camp at the start of the tour.
Many other teams would have taken that as a good excuse to walk away, but Pakistan made sure to complete the series without troubling their hosts.
Following those gestures of goodwill, there were high hopes in Pakistan that a new dawn was set to begin this autumn after years of the country being treated as a “no go” area for Western cricket teams.
As well as a tour from the New Zealand team, England’s men were scheduled to play two T20Is in preparation for their T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE and Oman while the women’s side were due to play a series of T20s and ODIs.
A security assessment for England’s tours was carried out alongside New Zealand and a “clean bill of health” from a security perspective was initially issued. Then the mood changed last week. New Zealand, based upon warnings of an allegedly imminent terror attack, decided to cancel their tour almost a week after landing in Pakistan and headed for Islamabad airport guarded by the same security forces that they felt would not be able to protect them.
Then the ECB claimed the mental health of its players would be affected by playing two T20Is in Pakistan despite being in the country for just a few days, which feels like nothing more than a slap in the face.
England owed Pakistan a favour after what the PCB had done for them over the past 18 months, but instead they have turned their back on a board and a country that has been a huge supporter and one which was reeling after New Zealand’s cancellation.
As PCB chairman Ramiz Raja put it: “Whatever sacrifices we made last season to help England during Covid-19 appear to have gone to waste so we have learnt a harsh lesson.”
The PCB has indeed learnt some harsh lessons these past few days and has been badly let down by two countries it viewed as friends.
These are tough days for Pakistan cricket, but this isn’t the first time that its resolve has been tested. If there is one thing that can be guaranteed it is Pakistan’s ability to survive.
https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/pakistan-england-tour-cancelled-slap-in-the-face-1209706
...when the ECB themselves and English journalists have stated the exact opposite. 
