England cricketer Jonathan Bairstow (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Cricket has been caught up in rising tensions in the Middle East, leaving players from both England and Pakistan stranded in Dubai.England Lions were in the United Arab Emirates to play Pakistan Shaheens, but everything changed after Iran carried out missile and drone attacks in the region.
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As a result, the UAE closed its airspace, halted flights and canceled Sunday’s game. Among those stranded are Jonny Bairstow, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and 24 other players and staff.After the suspension of flights, the team could not leave Dubai. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) says it is working to keep everyone safe and able to return home when possible. An ECB spokesman said: “The safety and security of our teams and staff is our highest priority. We are in contact with security experts and the government regarding current events in the Middle East and are following official advice.”“We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and official advice regarding the future of these routes,” a BBC spokesman said.Bairstow also publicly shared his frustration. He wrote on X and wrote: “@emirates we have not seen any communication since the flight was cancelled. I have tried the communication lines but nothing. Can someone please contact us.”This applies not only to the men’s “A” teams. England’s women’s side had planned a training camp in Dubai which will now not go ahead. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also staying in touch with the Shaheens and keeping a close eye on developments. There is no clear timetable for when UAE airspace will reopen, so both teams are awaiting updates.
