Abu Dhabi: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to end the England Lions tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) early amid rising tensions in the Gulf region.
The Board has confirmed that it will make alternative arrangements for the England Women’s team whose scheduled training camp in Abu Dhabi has been cancelled.
The Lions were involved in a 50-over series against the Pakistan Shaheens, the second of the scheduled five-match series being called off over the weekend.
As the situation worsens in the wider region, the ECB has now decided to cancel the remaining three matches altogether and is making arrangements to repatriate players and support staff to England.
The Board’s primary concern is the safety of its employees. The recent closure of airspace in parts of West Asia has caused significant disruption to global travel, creating vulnerability and uncertainty in commercial flight availability.
The England Women’s team, which has been idle since their campaign in the 2025 ODI World Cup ended in October, was due to travel to Abu Dhabi for a pre-tournament camp.
The camp was considered to be an important part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by England in June and July. The ECB has now confirmed that the scheme has been scrapped.
In a statement released on Monday, the ECB cited “instability across the Gulf” as the reason for the cancellation, prioritizing “the safety and well-being of players, support staff and officials”.
“The remainder of the England Men’s Lions tour has been canceled and we are working to get everyone home as soon as possible,” the statement said.
“Given the instability across the Gulf we have ruled out the possibility of the England Women’s T20 World Cup camp being held in Abu Dhabi,” it added.
The board confirmed that contingency planning is already underway.
“Over the weekend we launched alternative options which will help UK women achieve the same results and we will let you know when we finalize a new plan.”
The travel disruption is being felt across the cricketing world. Zimbabwe’s departure from India has been delayed following their participation in the Men’s T20 World Cup.
The West Indies Cricket Board also confirmed on Monday that its players, who had completed their tournament duties, would not be able to travel temporarily as planned.
While the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup finals are not expected to be affected, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it is closely monitoring the situation.