"I understand this will be a blow for the PCB, who have been wonderful hosts, but player safety is paramount and we believe this is the only responsible option," White said. NZC chief executive David White said the advice he received made the tour impossible to continue, and he was supported by the New Zealand Cricket Players Association. But Pindi Stadium wasn't opened on Friday to spectators as New Zealand decided to abandon the tour. Pakistan, therefore, allowed the stadiums in Rawalpindi and Lahore to be at 25% crowd capacity because of the pandemic. Both cities and the security arrangements were cleared by NZC's security team last month.Īhmed said Pakistan allowed hosting the games without spectators but New Zealand rejected the offer. New Zealand's first visit to Pakistan in 18 years was to feature three ODIs in Rawalpindi and five Twenty20s in Lahore. Arrangements are now being made for the team's departure." NZC said on its website: "Following an escalation in the New Zealand government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisers on the ground, it has been decided the Black Caps will not continue with the tour. Especially when it's not shared!! Which world is NZ living in?NZ will hear us at ICC." "Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. "Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players," Raja tweeted. PCB chairman Ramiz Raja hinted they will protest to the International Cricket Council against NZC's unilateral decision. We have assured the New Zealand Cricket of the same." The Pakistan Cricket Board said together with the Pakistan government they "made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams. The security concern has the Pakistan hosts mystified. "But the prime minister of New Zealand said that the issue is not the threat but we have such information that when the team goes out it can come under some attack, so they have unilaterally canceled their tour." "He told her that the law and order situation is the best in our country and we give a guarantee that there is no security problem here, there is no security threat," Ahmed said. Khan, who is on a government visit of Tajikistan, informed Ardern "we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team."Īhmed said he had no information about a security threat against the New Zealanders, and backed Khan at a news conference.
Both teams had stayed at their hotel.Īccording to Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan the cricketers could be attacked outside the stadium.
Icc cricket games download 2019 series#
New Zealand Cricket declined to reveal the nature of the security alert from its own government that prompted the sudden decision to cancel the tour moments before the scheduled start of the one-day international series in Rawalpindi. New Zealand abandoned its cricket tour of Pakistan on Friday because it was wary of being attacked outside Rawalpindi Stadium, according to the Pakistan government.