"Come visit us, we will make sure we look after you" - Waqar Younis urges Australia to tour Pakistan
Former Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis has requested Cricket Australia not to be influenced by New Zealand or England's decisions after the two nations canceled their tours of Pakistan. The nation's home series against Australia in 2022 could also be in jeopardy.
The Australian team is scheduled to tour Pakistan early next year to play all three formats. However, after withdrawals from New Zealand and England, Australia's visit also remains highly uncertain. Cricket Australia, though, intends to send its players as of now.
"We can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip."
🇵🇰 #PAKvENG 🏴
Waqar Younis, who currently resides in Sydney, believes Pakistan is nothing short of it when it comes to safety. The 49-year old trusts Pakistan's security measures and is confident of the players not facing any threats. Younis told The Age:
"I live in Sydney, my family is in Sydney - it’s the safest place in the world and I can guarantee you this place is nothing less than that. Come visit us, we will make sure we will look after you. Our security is one of the best in the world. We’ll make sure nothing of that sort will occur. When a team comes it is a different ball game. They make sure the hospitality, the security is right up there."
If Australia finalizes the Pakistan tour next year, it will be the first time they have toured the country since 1998. The visitors won both the Test and one-day international series convincingly at the time. Mark Taylor captained Australia in Tests while Steve Waugh led the side in the 50-over games.
It was very tough with quarantine and we followed the protocols: Waqar Younis
Younis, who recently resigned as Pakistan's bowling coach, recalled the challenges in the England and New Zealand tours amid the pandemic. Younis revealed:
"It was very tough with quarantine and we followed the protocols. We made sure cricket shouldn’t suffer. We went to NZ when the vaccines didn’t exist. That was one of the toughest tours I’ve attended - 14 days of quarantine was really painful."
Newly-elected PCB chairman Ramiz Raja came down hard on the England Cricket Board (ECB) and cited the players' potential weariness in the bio-bubble as the reason for abandonment. Raja stated that the PCB expected England to pull out of the series after the Kiwis did so without giving concrete reasons.