Dubai Cricket Stadium (file photo) The second unofficial one-day match between Pakistan Shaheens and England Lions in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Sunday, was called off after security concerns heightened in the region.“The safety and security of our teams and staff is our highest priority,” the ECB said in a statement.“Tomorrow’s second 50-over-50 match between England Men’s Lions and Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi will no longer go ahead and we are postponing England Women’s departure for their proposed trip to Abu Dhabi next week.”The Pakistan Cricket Board also confirmed that the match scheduled for the day had been canceled and that players and team officials had been advised to stay in a hotel as a precaution.The move followed advice from the England and Wales Cricket Board amid the situation in Abu Dhabi.“There will also be no training sessions and the team has been advised to remain indoors,” the PCB said in a statement, adding that the safety and security of the players and support staff remains the top priority.The PCB remains in contact with the ECB and monitors developments.A decision on the remaining matches will be made after the re-opening of airspace in the Middle East. The board will decide whether the Shaheens squad should return to Pakistan or continue the series, depending on the security situation.The disruption comes after coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded by firing missiles across parts of the Persian Gulf, prompting several countries to close or restrict their airspace.The United States and Israel launched an offensive on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to remove its leadership.The strikes led to the closure of airspace in parts of the Persian Gulf and affected international airlines, including Emirates and Air India.Air India has announced that it has canceled all flights to and from major Gulf cities – Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh and Tel Aviv until further notice.Dubai International Airport has suspended operations indefinitely due to airspace restrictions following the missile strikes.
