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England cancel tour to Pakistan: PCB chief Ramiz Raja vows to 'avenge' Western Bloc

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has said that England and New Zealand's decision to not play series in Pakistan is a lesson for them and now they will just look after their own interest.

Rameez Raja

Lahore, September 21: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has said that England and New Zealand's decision to not play series in Pakistan is a lesson for them and now they will just look after their own interest.

After New Zealand decided to abandon their tour of Pakistan right ahead of the first ODI, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (September 20) announced that its men's and women's tour of Pakistan in October would not go ahead as planned.

"I am severely disappointed in England's withdrawal but it was expected because this western bloc gets united unfortunately and tries to back each other. So, you can take any decision on the basis of security threat and perception.

"There was a sense of anger because first New Zealand got away without sharing information about the threat they were facing," ESPNcricinfo quoted Raja as saying.

"Now, this England was expected but this is a lesson for us because we go out of our way to accommodate and pamper these sides when they visit. And when we go there, we undergo strict quarantines and we tolerate their admonishments, but there is a lesson in this. That is, that from now on we will only go as far as is in our interest," he added.

Further talking about cricket in Pakistan, Raja said: "Our interest is that cricket will not stop in our country and if the cricket fraternity will not take care of each other then there's no point to it. New Zealand, then England, now we have a West Indies series that can also be hit, and Australia who is already reconsidering.

'This - England, Australia, New Zealand - is all one block. Who can we complain to? We thought they were our own but they haven't accepted us as theirs. We have to improve and expand our cricket economy so that these countries remain interested in playing us.

'That is in our interests as well so that our players are paid better and we are respected more. They come to the PSL where they don't get spooked or fatigued but collectively they have a different mindset together toward Pakistan," he added.

Raja said his team would now be required to channel all their frustration into showcasing good performance in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"We go in the World Cup now and where we had one team in our target - our neighbours India, they now add two more teams - New Zealand and England. So, pick up the strength and develop a mindset that we are not going to lose because you didn't do right by us with us and we will avenge that in the ground," said Raja.

''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.

''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.

"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 currently living in.

We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments," said the ECB.

Story first published: Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 9:37 [IST]
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