Top cricket series that were cancelled mid-way

Following the whole “West Indies pulling out of the India tour midway” fiasco, we take a look back at previous incidences, where teams pulled out, or were forced to due to extraneous circumstances, of a tour mid-way through the campaign.

#1 Sri Lanka\'s tour of Pakistan, 2008-09

Visiting Pakistan for a cricket match has always been a task fraught with danger. Owing to political upheal and religious fanaticism, Pakistan has seen many tours being cancelled at the last-minute, with visiting countries refusing to send over players due to safety concerns.

In early 2009, Sri Lanka became the first team to accept an invitation and visit Pakistan for an ODI and Test series, following South Africa’s visit in late 2007. It seemed cricket had finally returned to Pakistan, for good.

The ODI series went ahead as planned, and Sri Lanka came up trumps 2-1. The Test series started soon after, with fans eager to watch their team make a comeback.

But the tranquility would soon be shattered during the second Test at Lahore. En route to the stadium, the Sri Lankan convoy was attacked by terrorists, with tragic results. Eight people lost their lives that fateful day, and 5 Sri Lankan cricketers, including captain Mahela Jayawardhene, Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis, were injured in the attack.

The tour was quickly abandoned, and once again serious questions were asked – Should teams be touring a country where even cricketers are not safe from terrorist attacks?

#2 South Africa\'s tour of Sri Lanka, 2006

The 2006 season saw South Africa visit Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series which was to be followed by an ODI series involving the hosts and neighbours India.

The Test series went ahead as scheduled, with the hosts winning on both occasions – the second test was won by a single wicket.

At the time, the island nation was mired in civil war, with the warring LTTE and the government unable to reach a compromise. While bombing and attacks had started in late 2005, the government’s offensive response seemed to have quelled any fears of a major outbreak of violence.

However, a series of bomb blasts in Colombo triggered yet another wave of security concerns, and the South African board, following a security check, decided to end their stay in the country.

The ODI series was called off and the South Africans departed the island well ahead of time.

#3 Sri Lanka\'s tour of New Zealand, 2004-05

Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in late 2004 and early 2005 was supposed to include 5 ODIs and 2 Test matches, scheduled to be played out between December 2004 and February 2005.

However, the first ODI, played on Boxing Day 2004, turned out to be the only match to be completed before the tour was called off due to the Tsunami disaster that hit the whole of South Asia. The Sri Lankan convoy left for home, to show solidarity for their afflicted countrymen and in some cases to help out their own family members.

Sri Lanka would later return in April 2005 for the Test series and in early 2006 for the remainder of the 4 ODIs.

#4 West Indies\' tour of Sri Lanka, 2010-11

A series that Kumar Sangakkara would later go on to describe as the “worst of his life”, West Indies’ tour of Sri Lanka in late 2010 was abandoned due to persistent rain and storms across the island nation.

Originally scheduled to be a 5-match ODI series, it was later curtailed to 3 matches and postponed to 2011. The Sri Lankan Cricket board suffered heavy financial losses due to the postponement of the tour.

#5 New Zealand\'s tour of Pakistan, 2002

The New Zealand cricket team was due to tour Pakistan from September to October 2001 for a Test match and ODI series. But the 9/11 terror attacks led to the tour being postponed to April-May 2005.

When the Kiwis revisited Pakistan for the Test series, there was to be another terror attack that would cause the tour to be abandoned. A bomb exploded outside the New Zealand team hotel just hours before the start of the second Test in Karachi, and the security threats posed by such an attack led to the rightful abandonment of the series.

#6 India\'s tour of Pakistan, 1984

A Test series that was supposed to be a fantastic advertisement for the game of cricket – India visited arch rivals Pakistan in late 1984 for a 5-match Test series that was set to pit the Sunil Gavaskar-led India against Imran Khan’s bevy of talented cricketers.

The first two matches ended up as draws, effectively turning the series into a 3-match winner takes all series. But the tragic assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi led to the Indian team being recalled, thus ending the tour prematurely. A decision was then taken to shelve the tour altogether, with no plans of rescheduling it at a later date.

#7 New Zealand\'s tour of Sri Lanka, 1986-87

Martin Crowe of New Zealand

Originally scheduled to be a three-match Test series, the Kiwis’ tour of the island nation was halted abruptly after the first Test. A bomb, allegedly planted by the LTTE as part of the ongoing civil war, erupted in Colombo close to the visitors’ hotel and claimed over 100 casualties.

The Kiwis returned home, the remainder of the tour was cancelled and no cricket team would visit Sri Lanka till 1992.

#8 England\'s tour of Pakistan, 1968-69

East Pakistan – current day Bangladesh – was going through troubled times in the late 60s, with civil war at full throttle and law and order taking a backseat. Despite the concerns of the English, diplomats and politicians from both countries wanted the tour to go ahead, each to further their own agenda.

The first two Tests went ahead, as scheduled but certainly not as planned, and with growing safety concerns, the tour was finally called off in the third Test at Karachi. With the rioting and chaos moving closer and closer to the English team, the decision was finally made for them to return home to safety.

#9 West Indies tour of England, 1939

The West Indies visited England in 1939 for a Test match series. Although three matches were played, with England winning the series 1-0, the dawn of the Second World War forced the abrupt cancellation of the tour, with the visitors sailing back home.