Kamal Ghorui
The second unofficial one-day match between Pakistan Shaheens and England Lions in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Sunday, was called off after security concerns in the region intensified“The safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority,” the ECB said in a statement.“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.”.Pakistan Cricket Board also confirmed that the match scheduled for the day had been cancelled and that players and team officials were told to stay inside their hotel as a precaution.The move followed advice from the England and Wales Cricket Board amid the situation in Abu Dhabi.“There will be no practice session as well and the team has been advised to remain indoors,” the PCB said in a statement, adding that the safety and security of players and support staff remains the top priority.The PCB remains in contact with the ECB and is monitoring developments.A decision on the remaining matches will be taken after the Middle East airspace reopens. The board will decide whether the Shaheens squad should return to Pakistan or continue with the series, depending on the security situation.The disruption comes after coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with missile fire across parts of the Gulf, leading several countries to close or restrict their airspace.The United States and Israel carried out the offensive on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump urging the Iranian public to remove its leadership.The strikes led to airspace closures in parts of the Gulf and affected international airlines, including Emirates and Air India.Air India said it has cancelled all flights to and from major Gulf cities — Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh and Tel Aviv — until further notice.Dubai International Airport has suspended operations indefinitely due to airspace restrictions following the missile strikes.
