England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Ian Watmore has apologised to Pakistan cricket following England’s decision to withdraw its men’s and women’s teams from their scheduled tours of Pakistan.
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Watmore said the relationship between the two cricket boards needed to be rebuilt after the decision, which came only days after New Zealand abandoned its tour of Pakistan.
In his first public comments after the withdrawal, Watmore said security concerns were among the factors considered by the ECB but stressed that the welfare of players was the board’s main priority.
“I’m very sorry to anyone who feels hurt or let down by our decision, particularly in Pakistan,” Watmore said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
He described the decision as extremely difficult and said the board had received advice relating to security and player welfare before reaching its conclusion.
Watmore explained that the ECB had to make the decision quickly because of the limited time before the T20 World Cup and New Zealand’s sudden departure from Pakistan.
“Those were all factors, but the primary consideration was the welfare of the players,” he said.
England’s planned tours in October would have marked the team’s first visit to Pakistan since the 2005-06 season.
