Sydney: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has said that the treatment given to Pakistan has been excessively harsh, especially after them touring overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chappell’s comments come after New Zealand abandoned their men’s white-ball tour minutes before the start of first ODI at Rawalpindi. Three days later, England pulled out of their men’s and women’s white-ball tours to Pakistan in October.
“There’s no doubt that completing cricket tours unhindered during the pandemic is a precarious business. Just surviving from day to day is an accomplishment in the current climate. Nevertheless, the treatment meted out to Pakistan, in particular, appears to be excessively harsh, considering the way they have unselfishly toured other countries during the pandemic,” wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo on Sunday.
Chappell believes that Pakistan have learned a lesson about cricket, citing an incident featuring former England captain Tony Lewis. “Pakistan have now learned a lesson about the game that the former England captain and accomplished broadcaster Tony Lewis once eloquently expounded about on air. After a particularly strenuous overseas winter bonding session, the England team had quickly found itself in trouble after the loss of early wickets in the first Test of the summer. “Ah, that’s better,” chanted Lewis, “now the England players will understand the reality of the situation: it’s every man for himself.” Or, as it might be more correct to say in modern cricket parlance: “It’s every man and woman for themselves.”
The 78-year-old concluded by talking about Afghanistan’s one-off Test against Australia in November in danger due to Taliban’s ban on women’s sports. “This is especially so in the lamentable case of Afghanistan, where the dreaded Taliban have more or less decreed female sport is a no-no. This will more than likely result in the Afghanistan men’s team having their first Test with Australia cancelled, and their probable ultimate removal from the status of Test-playing nation.”