Pakistan pace great Wasim Akram on Sunday (August 16) said England owes Pakistan cricket for making the ongoing trip to Britain despite the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and they should repay the favor with a tour of Pakistan in 2022.
Pakistan cricket team decided to tour England for a bilateral series including the ongoing 3-Test series and as many as T20Is amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Given the current COVID-19 situation, all players and support staff were forced to be under a bio-secure environment with strict rules in place during the tour.
Though the England and Wales Cricket Board and the players thanked West Indies and Pakistan for touring amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Akram feels England must tour Pakistan in 2022, urging the English officials to honor a planned returned visit in 2022.
Akram told Sky Sports: “You (England) boys owe Pakistan cricket, and the country, a lot, with the boys coming over here. They’ve been here almost two-and-half months in the bio-secure environment. So if everything goes well, England should tour Pakistan. I promise you they’ll get looked after on and off the field there and every game will be a packed house.”
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England has not toured Pakistan since 2005-06 following the terror attack on Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 and the fast-bowling legend pointed out that the participation of English players in the Pakistan Super League should encourage the ECB to make a tour in 2022.
Akram signed off by saying: “The English players were there for the Pakistan Super League in our team, Karachi Kings -- Alex Hales and Chris Jordan. They loved it, they enjoyed it, they got looked after beautifully and I must give credit to the government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan team and their staff."
