British PM Boris Johnson upset with ECB over cancellation of series against Pakistan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly upset by the England Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to cancel their men’s and women’s tour of Pakistan after New Zealand’s pull out of the white-ball series in the Asian country.

The ECB cited players’ mental health and fatigue as the reason behind their decision.

While New Zealand were on a Pakistan tour after 18 years, England were supposed to play in the country after 16 years.

A report in The Times from September 24 quoted the British PM and senior Commonwealth Ministers as saying that ECB’s one-sided call has damaged the relationship between the UK and Pakistan.

“There were consultations between the ECB and officials from No 10, the Foreign Office and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport before announcing the cancellation of the tour in which the governing body was urged to go ahead as planned,” The Times reported.

“The subsequent decision to ignore those pleas and cancel the tour on the grounds of the physical and mental wellbeing of the players has enraged ministers. They believe it has damaged the work being done to improve relations between the UK and Pakistan at a time when they are particularly important,” it added.