The England players’ body has said that its inputs were not sought by the country’s Board when it decided to call off the tour of Pakistan, a revelation that has come as a “surprise” to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

New Zealand arrived in Pakistan for the first time since 2005 but left without playing a single game, citing an unspecified security threat. England also decided to cancel its tour, saying it had players’ welfare in mind.

Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), a body formed in 2001 “to look after the needs of professional England cricketers and work closely with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) to ensure that their rights are protected”, issued a statement to say that it had no role in the pullout.

“At no stage has the ECB ever asked Team England Player Partnership or the teams, men and women, whether the tour should go ahead or whether players were prepared to tour Pakistan,” a TEPP spokesperson was quoted as saying by British media.

“At no stage has Team England Player Partnership informed the ECB that the players would not be touring. The ECB board met last Sunday to debate the tour to Pakistan.

“That afternoon we were informed the tour had been cancelled. Team England Player Partnership was not asked for our input and we were not involved in the decision to cancel the tour,” the spokesperson added.

The claim has surprised the PCB hierarchy because the ECB clearly gave the impression that it called off the tour taking into account the players’ mental welfare and well-being.

“Amazing that is what this situation is. Rest assured we will be taking up this matter with the ECB in light of this clarification from the players body,” one PCB official said.

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has been on the warpath ever since the twin withdrawals, which have now prompted the board to assert that it would not consider hosting its home series at neutral venues from now onwards.

“That is now out of the equation,” an official said.