West Indies board calls off men’s team tour of Pakistan

BARBADOS: The West Indies cricket board has called off its men’s team tour of Pakistan after the women’s team refused to come to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's efforts to arrange a home series have been dealt a blow as West Indies have opted not to tour next month because of security concerns.

Senior players had already expressed concerns about visiting Pakistan and the decision comes a week after the West Indies women's team called off the Pakistan leg of their Asian tour.

Donald Peters, the chief executive of the West Indies board, said negotiations are on to reschedule the tour. "We are in talks with the PCB at present with the hope of getting the tour deferred to another date, but at this time we are not going to tour the country," Peters said.

"At the end of the last (WICB) board meeting, the directors wanted a security report on the situation in Pakistan and I contacted the PCB. I had requested a security plan from them that was okayed by their police and military.

"They got this plan and sent it to me and we were then looking further at getting an independent security firm but this was not done because we had decided that at this point it was not really safe for the players to go to Pakistan."

The West Indies team had to play a Test series of two matches in Pakistan.