Pakistan’s Ireland tour postponed due to Covid-19 outbreak: PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Ireland announced on Thursday that the two T20 internationals scheduled to take place in Dublin in July have been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a press release issued by the PCB, the decision has been taken after the Irish government announced that matches can take place behind closed doors after August 10. The matches had been scheduled for July 12 and July 14.

“It is sad that due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, we have to postpone our tour to Ireland,” said PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan.

“We were looking forward to returning to the venue where we featured against Ireland in their inaugural Test in 2018, as well as the country where our players have always been supported and admired by friendly and knowledgeable fans.”

He added that the PCB “fully respected and endorsed Cricket Ireland’s decision during this difficult time”.

“As we have all reiterated, the safety and security of players, officials and fans comes first. It remains a challenging time for all nations that are due to be hosting series in the coming months. As a cricketing family, we will continue to rally and work together closely.”

Meanwhile, Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom said that with the Irish government’s decision, it had become “impossible” to host Pakistan in Dublin.

“We discussed scenarios around delaying the fixtures — or even playing them elsewhere — but with numerous complications around government roadmap timelines, bio-security, quarantining, and scheduling, it just hasn’t been possible to find a way to get the matches played.

“We deeply regret this, as cricketing bonds between Ireland and Pakistan are strong, and we were very excited to host the world’s top T20 side,” the press release quoted Deutrom as saying.

“We look forward to a time when we can once again meet on the pitch and wish our PCB colleagues good health during these challenging times,” he added.