Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said that the announcement by the English Cricket Board (ECB) to visit Pakistan next year is a welcome step.
Taking to Twitter, Fawad said that he would like to thank stars of the cricketing world, diplomatic community, media and cricket lovers around the world for their support for Pakistan Cricket. Fawad Chaudhry has taken the opportunity to claim it a victory for the nation as he tweeted, “Yet again Pakistan has emerged as a strong and resilient nation.”
Earlier today, after a prolonged silence, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has finally apologised for cancelling Pakistan’s scheduled tour.
England had to play two T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14.
Read More – ‘Mujhe afsos hai, England’s tour not cancelled over security’: British High Commissioner
ECB Chairman Ian Watmore, in his first public comments since the ECB pulled out its scheduled tour to Pakistan, offered an apology for last week’s late withdrawal.
According to a sports journalist Alison Mitchell, Ian has said that the Board took advice on security and player welfare (British High Commissioner confirmed security advice hadn’t changed, despite NZ incident). “The board took the decision based on its own judgments & it didn’t go out to wider consultation.”
She shared that he said: “We need to rebuild our relationship with Pakistan. This was not the right time, we will do whatever we can regarding Pakistan’s scheduled tour next year.”
Watmore also confirmed that the decision was not made by the players and said no wider consultations were held. “The board took the decision based on its own judgments and it didn’t go out to wider consultation. Had we decided to go forward with the tour, we’d have had to put the proposals to TEPP (the body that represents England players) and the PCA, but it didn’t reach that point.”
