Islamabad: A day after England cancelled its tour post New Zealand's last-minute withdrawal due to "security concerns", Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the establishment will seek legal advice as the termination has caused massive financial loss to Pakistan Television (PTV).
"PTV has suffered financial losses due to cancellation of tours by England and New Zealand. We will seek legal advice against both boards. There is an international lobby operating against Pakistan. Those who want to put us down will never succeed," Fawad Chauhdry tweeted.
The England and Wales Cricket Board cited increased security concerns about travelling to the region. It also reasoned players' fatigue ahead of the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates even as New Zealand opted to abandon the series after a "security alert" from their government.
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Firefighting a range of issues within the board itself and two high profile teams -- New Zealand and England-- now abandoning their tours, the development came as a huge reversal in Pakistan's attempt at reviving international cricket in the country that saw a ray of hope after the tours of cricket playing nations like Zimbabwe and South Africa. If numbers are anything to go by, Pakistan could incur losses between USD $15-$25 million, according to a media outlet.
International cricket dried up in Pakistan as the region became a no-go zone for international teams after a terrorist attack at Sri Lankan cricket team bus in 2009. But the authorities claimed to have tightened up the security and taken adequate measures to revive the game since then which has been missed out by a generation of budding cricketers and lovers of the sport. And the recent withdrawal has riled up politicians and cricketers alike.
In a meeting with Greek Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Papastavrou, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said, "Pakistan is safe for all sorts of international tourism, sports, and business activities, and we encourage healthy bilateral exchanges in all areas of common interest."
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The withdrawal by the two countries has also left newly-elected Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja fuming who said the "western bloc" seemed to be on the same page and there is no one left for them to take up the issue.
"I am severely disappointed in England's withdrawal but it was expected because this western bloc gets united unfortunately and tries to back each other," Ramiz said in a video message.
"This (England) decision was expected but this is a lesson for us because we go out of our way to accommodate and pamper these sides when they visit," he said.
