England unable to give Pakistan guarantees over 2022 tour as PCB chairman Ramiz Raja rages: "We were used, and then we were binned"

NICK HOWSON: After England followed New Zealand in pulling out of tours to Pakistan, the newly-installed chairman has issued a strong warning

England call off tours of Pakistan in wake of New Zealand's withdrawal over security concerns

Pakistan have been given no promises that England will fulfil their tour in 2022 after abruptly pulling out of next month's matches over security concerns.

The ECB withdrew their men's and women's teams due to the "mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff" and "increasing concerns about travelling to the region".

Both England teams were due to play two T20I double-headers on October 13 and 14, with the women's staying on for three one-day internationals in Rawalpindi.

It would have been the first men's tour since 2006 while the women have never played competitive fixtures in the country.

New Zealand pulled out their men's side just hours before the start of their ODI series following a security alert, leading to the ECB considering their position and subsequently withdrawing on Monday (September 20).

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Chris Turner said: "This was a decision made by the ECB which is independent of the British government based on concerns for player welfare. The British High Commission supported the tour; did not advise against it on security grounds and our travel advice for Pakistan has not changed."

The ECB statement referenced concerns around bubble life and preparations for the T20 World Cup but made no direct reference to a threat. Indeed, the Pakistan Cricket Board are yet to receive specific details.

The abrupt and unexplained move has caused anger at the PCB, not least newly-installed chairman Ramiaz Raja who accused England of "failing a member of their cricket fraternity when it needed it most" in a post on Twitter.

Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah. A wake up call for Pak team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses.

— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) September 20, 2021

Speaking to overseas media, Raja added: "We're up against a western bloc who are unaware of the realities of Pakistan and have taken a call based on collective threat perception and wisdom without realising how much work Pakistan has put in. That's the frustrating part."

The ex-Pakistan captain expects Australia, whose men are scheduled to tour in February and March next year, to follow suit and there are also concerns West Indies, due in December for a white-ball tour, will get "jittery".

More than a dozen English male players participated in this year's Pakistan Super League, including James Vince who is a backup player to England's T20 World Cup squad. Ten are currently in the United Arab Emirates for the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Pakistan toured England last summer while Covid-19 was rife and vaccines were not yet available, helping to curb the ECB's financial losses. They returned this year and remained after a Covid outbreak forced England's first-choice squad to isolate and a new group to be called up.

But a similar offer was not made during Raja's discussions with ECB chairman Ian Watmore, while formal talks over compensation have not yet taken place.

"We were used, and then we were binned," Raja barked.

On the prospect on next year's tour going ahead, which currently is made up of three Tests he explained: "I spoke with Ian, I said 'what is the guarantee of England coming back and playing in 2022?'

^{The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was due to host the tour}

"A month before that tour you could easily quote tiredness, players being spoked again, sick of living in a bubble or a threat perception that will probably again be not shared with us. He clearly had no answer to that. We'll have a backup plan.

"He appeared as if the decision was out of his hands, that there were other influencers who really made the call in the end on his behalf."

Given the long road Pakistan tread to return international cricket to home shores, they will not be looking at neutral venues to host matches in the immediate future. Following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March 2009 it took 10 years for Test cricket to return.

Set against his own concerns regarding international cricket's current structure, Raja is worried a dangerous precedent has been set by New Zealand and England in recent days.

"If a security threat perception is going to be made as a get-out-clause then any one of the members could have a problem with any other member," he said.

"Whether we're playing Australia in Australia, or England in England I can get up tomorrow morning and say I am not comfortable because we feel there could be this little threat. The tone has to be set properly."