British High Commissioner rejects reports of England’s involvement in cancellation of NZ tour
British High Commissioner rejects reports of England’s involvement in the cancellation of the NZ tour.
British High Commissioner Christian Turner in a tweet clarified their position and said New Zealand had taken such a decision independently.
Speculation that British High Commission was involved in PakvsNZ tour being called off are untrue; this was a decision for the New Zealand authorities & taken independently. I recognise that this is a sad day for cricket fans in 🇵🇰 & around 🌍 who were looking fwd to the series
— Christian Turner (@CTurnerFCDO) September 17, 2021
Australian cricket journalist Dennis Freedman in a tweet shared that “UK High Commission shared the threat with NZ.”
However, British High Commissioner Christian Turner said the speculation was “untrue”.
On the other hand, England men’s and women’s sides are due in Pakistan for a short two-match Twenty20 series next month.
Reacting to the development, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday stated that it would make the decision on its planned tour to Pakistan in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The announcement from ECB came soon after the sudden cancellation of the New Zealand cricket team’s Pakistan tour due to security concerns.
The ECB spokesperson said the board was aware of New Zealand’s decision.
“We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation. The ECB will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed,” the spokesperson said.
