Govt to mull legal action against NZ, England cricket boards over losses incurred

Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the government is mulling legal action against the cricket boards of New Zealand and England for causing damages worth millions to the state broadcaster after the two sides pulled out of scheduled cricket tours. 

England withdrew both the men’s and women’s teams from next month’s tour of Pakistan, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECP) announced on Monday, three days after New Zealand abandoned their tour of the country amid security concerns.

The information minister, taking to Twitter, said Pakistan Television (PTV) suffered millions in losses after the cancellation and a final decision in this regard will be made after consulting the legal team. 

Fawad also termed the abandonment a "conspiracy" by an "international lobby" against the country but added that such conspiracies will not succeed against Pakistan.

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The England men and women’s teams were each scheduled to play two Twenty20 international matches on October 13 and 14 in Rawalpindi, with the women’s side due to stay on for a three-match one-day international series from October 17-21.

On Friday, the New Zealand Cricket said the tour was cancelled after an escalation in the government’s threat levels for Pakistan and advice from its cricket security advisers on the ground.