The second 50-over game between the England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens has been called off.
ECB: The safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority
The England Lions squad are currently in Abu Dhabi taking on the Shaheens in a two-leg white-ball series; they won the T20s 3-0 before taking the first one-day game yesterday (February 27). The men's team are currently participating in the T20 World Cup in India, while a group of 30 members of the women's squad were set to play an intra-squad series in Abu Dhabi this March.
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On Saturday (February 28), a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) read: “The safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority. We are in contact with security experts and the Government in relation to current events in the Middle East, and are following official advice.
“Tomorrow’s second 50-over game between England Men’s Lions and Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi will no longer go ahead, and we are delaying the departure of England Women for their proposed trip to Abu Dhabi next week. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and official advice in relation to the future of these trips. England Men will travel to Mumbai for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup semi-final as planned.”
“Current events in the Middle East” refers to a ramping up of military action in the region on Saturday; US and Israeli forces carried out strikes in Iran, calling for the overthrow of the government, as reported by Reuters. Iran then retaliated with targeted missiles at Israel and Gulf allies of the USA. CNN report that blasts were heard in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Reuters' latest reports estimate a tally of 201 killed and 747 injured in Iran.
The Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world thanks in large part to its central location, has also come to a grinding halt, causing mass diversions and cancellations of flights across the world.
England Lions vs Pakistan Shaheens: Fixtures and results
- 1st T20 - February 20, Zayed Cricket Stadium: Lions won by 4 wickets
- 2nd T20 - February 22, Zayed Cricket Stadium: Lions won by 32 runs
- 3rd T20 - February 24, Zayed Cricket Stadium: Lions won by 2 wickets
- 1st one-day - February 27, Zayed Cricket Stadium: Lions won by 9 wickets
- 2nd one-day - March 1, Zayed Cricket Stadium: Called off
- 3rd one-day - March 4, Zayed Cricket Stadium
- 4th one-day - March 6, Zayed Cricket Stadium
- 5th one-day - March 9, Zayed Cricket Stadium
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