Iran Israel War: ECB Suspends England Lions vs Pakistan Shaheen Fixture After Iran's Strikes In UAE
The England and Wales Cricket board have suspended the game between England Lions and Pakistan SHaheens in UAE amidst the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Published : March 1, 2026 at 5:40 PM IST
Hyderabad: The ongoing conflict involving USA, Iran and Israel has affected the cricketing schedule as well. After Iran reportedly carried out military strikes Dubai's Palm Jumeirah resort, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have suspended the scheuled fixture between the England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens which was set to played in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The ESPNCricinfo reported that the fixture scheduled for the Tuesday has been called off.
The decision comes after the United States and Israel carried out air strikes on Iran and they responded with reataliatory strikes which also included attack in UAE. The 25-player Lions squad remains in UAE as the country's airspace has been shut off due to the ongoing tensions in the middle east region.
"The safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority. We are in contact with security experts and the Government in relation to current events in the Middle East and are following official advice. 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. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and official advice in relation to the future of these trips," an ECB spokesperson confirmed in a statement.
The England Women's training camp has also been postponed which was scheduled to commence next week in Abu Dhabi. England Men's T20I squad has been also cleared to travel to Mumbai as they will play the semifinal in the city as per schedule. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that they currently keeping a tab on the situation and are looking for alternate fligght options in the region and maintaining contact with the member boards.
The ECB also stated that all the deicsions in the region of the middle east will be taken on the advice of the experts. Currently, the airspace in the middle east is shut off due to the scalating tensions between the countries.
