Former West Indian bowler, Michael Holding, says England exuded “western arrogance” by calling off their tour to Pakistan.
England Cricket Board had refused to send its men and women cricket team to Pakistan last month on security concerns and pressure of “bubble environments”.
“The ECB statement doesn’t wash with me,” Michael Holding said as he thrashes England for backing out from the Pakistan tour. “No substance.” He audaciously called out England after receiving the Cricket Writer’s Club Peter Smith Award.
Holding added: “Nobody wants to come forward and face up to anything because they know what they did was wrong.
“So they put out a statement and hid behind a statement. It just reminds me of the rubbish they did with Black Lives Matter.
#England showed 'Western arrogance' in withdrawing from Pakistan tour, says Michael Holding @ECB_cricket @TheRealPCB
“Four days in Pakistan? I’m absolutely sure they wouldnt have done that to India, because India is rich & powerful." Michael Holding https://t.co/dLAU6yFWV5
— Anila Khawaja (@anilakhawaja) October 5, 2021
Michael Holding "Four days in Pakistan? I’m absolutely sure they (ECB) wouldn’t have done that to India, because India is rich and powerful" #Cricket #PAKvENG
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) October 5, 2021
– “They were going for four days,": MICHAEL HOLDING said
“Pakistan went to England before vaccines were available, for six or seven weeks. They stayed, they played their cricket, they were in this bubble, which I was in ..”
https://t.co/9HglFOLJ7i— Asif Khan (@mak_asif) October 6, 2021
“I won’t go back into that because I’ve said enough about that. But what that signal sends to me, is the same Western arrogance.
“I will treat you how I feel like treating you, it doesn’t matter what you think, I’ll just do what I want.”
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Pakistan honored England
He reminded how Pakistan’s men cricket team traveled to England for three Tests and three T20s in summer 2020 for six to seven weeks even before the vaccines were available. The tour came in the first six months of the covid-19 pandemic. Pakistani players played without fans in a strict bio-secure environment.
“Pakistan went to England before vaccines were available for six or seven weeks,” said Holding, who played 60 Tests for West Indies before becoming a celebrated commentator.
“They stayed, they played their cricket, they honored what England wanted them to honor, to save England’s butt, to put it mildly.”
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He asked if England would have treated India the same way if treated Pakistan. “Four days in Pakistan? I’m absolutely sure they would not have done that to India because India is rich and powerful,” said Michael Holding.
His crisp statements have been making rounds on social media since yesterday. Pakistani netizens are praising the statements of Michael Holding on the withdrawal of England from Pakistan tour.