Tom Harrison, England and Wales Cricket Board Chief Executive, has flown to Pakistan to meet PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja in a bid to mend relations that were damaged by the cancellation of last month’s tour.
According to sources in the PCB, besides meeting Ramiz Raja, Tom Harrison is also due to call Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad before he flies out to Dubai for the final of the T20 World Cup and the ICC Executive Board meeting on November 17.
Tom Harrison’s Decision To Go To Pakistan Came After It Was Announced Australia And West Indies Would Tour Pakistan In 2022
After New Zealand decided to abandon its tour of Pakistan right ahead of the first ODI, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced that its men’s and women’s tour of Pakistan would not go ahead as planned.
The England men’s team was set to tour Pakistan in October for the first time since 2005, while their women have never played in that country. However, ECB had cancelled both the series, citing the “mental and physical well-being” of players and security concerns, a decision that was met with heavy criticism.
Tom Harrison’s decision to come to Pakistan comes on the heels of the announcement by Cricket Australia that it will be touring Pakistan early next year. Australia’s confirmation to send its team to Pakistan had come days after the West Indies board announced it would be touring Pakistan in December for a white ball series.
Australia’s men’s team is set for a three-format tour of Pakistan in March-April 2022, playing in the nation for the first time since 1998. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced details for the seven-match tour on Monday.
The campaign will comprise three ICC World Test Championship matches through march, three ICC Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs (29 March to 2 April), and one T20I (5 April). Australia’s last tour of Pakistan was in 1998-99, which in turn was their first series in Pakistan since 1959-60.
Ramiz Raja Would Be Taking Up The Case Against New Zealand Cricket And ECB At ICC Board Meeting
The confirmation by the two boards has come as welcome news for the PCB, which was shattered by the decision by New Zealand Cricket to pull out its team from the tour of Pakistan in September because of security threats and later the ECB’s decision also not to send its teams for white-ball matches.
But one PCB source made it clear that while Tom Harrison’s visit was welcome, and so was his assurance that England would make a full tour of Pakistan late next year, Ramiz Raja would be taking up the case against New Zealand Cricket and ECB strongly at the ICC board meeting.