Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Australia's Khawaja sees double standards in Pakistan pull-outs

Australia's Khawaja sees double standards in Pakistan pull-outs

Australia batter Usman Khawaja has criticized the decisions by New Zealand and England to scrap their tours to Pakistan and said they would not have made the same call if they had been due to play lucrative series in India.

New Zealand returned home from Pakistan after abruptly abandoning the tour minutes before the opening fixture in Rawalpindi citing a security alert from their government.


England followed suit this week, calling off their men's and women's teams tour of Pakistan next month citing "mental and physical well-being" of the players.

"I feel it's very easy for players and organisations to say no to Pakistan, because it's Pakistan," Khawaja said.

"I think the same thing would apply too if it were Bangladesh.

"But nobody would say no to India, if they're in the same situation. Money talks, we all know that, and that's probably a big part of it," added Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan.

Australia are also scheduled to travel to Pakistan early next year and governing body Cricket Australia has said it would "talk with the relevant authorities once more information becomes known".

Pakistan was shunned by other cricketing nations for almost a decade after the deadly 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore but has been wooing back top international teams in recent years.

Khawaja said he would have no issues touring there.

"There's a lot of security. Heavy, heavy security," he said. "I've heard nothing but reports about people feeling safe.

"Even talking to the guys during the PSL (Pakistan Super League) about what it's like ... they would say the same thing to me 'like 10 years ago, maybe not, but now 100%'."

More For You

Import-India

Trucks with shipping containers are parked at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, in Navi Mumbai, India, August 27, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

India moves to ease import checks amid talks on US trade deal

INDIA said on Wednesday it will introduce reforms to simplify import quality checks, a step that addresses concerns raised by the United States over what it has called the country’s “burdensome” import-quality requirements.

India and the United States are negotiating a trade agreement, which New Delhi hopes could help secure relief from a 50 per cent tariff imposed by US president Donald Trump on some Indian exports over the country’s purchases of Russian oil.

Keep ReadingShow less