‘Decision of England board is cowardly, was made out of fear of the players and India’: British author

British author and journalist Peter Oborne termed the decision of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as cowardly, saying that the decision to cancel the tour of Pakistan was taken out of fear of English players and India.

The author slammed the English board, saying the grounds on which the visit to Pakistan was canceled were a matter of “grave concern”.

Peter said: “The England board’s decision to cancel the tour was cowardly and out of fear of the players and India, especially the IPL. The security arrangements in Pakistan were the same as those made for Prince William and Kate Middleton. The British High Commission in Pakistan was satisfied with the security arrangements.”

While talking to Sky News, the author said: “Not for Pakistan’s cricket, this decision is a blow to the whole world. Pakistan team is one of the best teams in the world, England apparently did not make this decision on security grounds.”

Thank you Kay for promising to invite invisible Ian Watmore, chair of the gutless and shambolic ECB, to come on and justify his shameful decision on Sky tomorrow. Please let me know if he accepts! I am ready to open the bowling if he is happy to put on his pads and come into bat. https://t.co/Q2oYN1teUU

— Peter Oborne (@OborneTweets) September 21, 2021

He also criticised “invisible” Chairman ECB Ian Watmore to come on television and defend this decision.

“We are kicking one of our closest cricketing allies on teeth because of India,” he stated.

Oborne said that there was no change in the English board’s security advice, adding that the press release did not mention security but the players’ stress.

He further said that Pakistan came and played in the UK even in the dangerous time of Covid-19. Pakistan did good to Britain by coming in the pandemic.

Earlier, veteran cricket journalist George Dobell had taken the ECB to the cleaners for cancelling its tour to Pakistan and had called it out on its “hypocrisy”.