Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has taken a dig at the ECB after their cancellation of Pakistan tour and stated that the board had a “chance to do the right thing".
After New Zealand had abandoned their limited-overs tour of Pakistan minutes before the start of the first ODI in Rawalpindi citing security concerns, England cancelled their trip to the Asian nation in a poorly handled sequence of events.
“English cricket, the governing body and players, had a chance to do the right thing this week. They had a chance to repay a debt, uphold their honour and side with a cricketing nation that has undergone challenges others cannot even begin to contemplate. Instead, citing a mealy-mouthed statement, they did the wrong thing,” he wrote in his column for The Times.
The former England skipper further added that it would be surprising if Australia go ahead with the tour in February.
“Australia’s reputation for doing the right thing is as bad as England’s, so it would be a surprise if they front up in February. Pakistan will be facing a financial hammer blow,” he wrote.
The former Pakistan cricketers including the new PCB chairman Ramiz Raja had hit back on the two boards. “They do not expect England to travel, despite the commitment, and have lost any trust and faith in them. It is hard to blame them.”
Atherton in his piece further alleged that the ECB does not have quality leadership at the top and people responsible have been hiding behind the curtains.
Pakistan Cricket Board, in a series of press conferences, have given a detailed account of the scenario that led up to the cancellation of the NZ series and the subsequent decision of backing out of England. With these two teams backing out, West Indies tour of Pakistan has also been put under scanner. The boards have once entered talks relating to the security arrangements of the tour and it is anybody's guess as to how that might unfold.