NEW ZEALAND TEAM CANCELLED PAKISTAN TOUR WHO CAME THERE FOR PRERPERATION OF LIMITED OVERS T2O WORLD CUP TO BE HELD IN OMAN & UAE IN THIS YEAR.SERIES WAS SUPPOSED TO COMMENCE FROM TODAY BUT BLACKCAPS DISREGARDS THE SCHEDULES DUE TO SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS WHICH MIGHT CREATE FEAR AMONG ANOTHER COUNTRIES TO HAVE PAKISTAN AS A HOST.
THE TEAMS ARE PLANNED TO PLAY SERIES OF 3 ONE DAY &5 T2O MATCHES AT PITCHES OF RAWALPINDI AND LAHORE. BOTH TEAMS WERE INFORMED BEFORE 20 MINUTES OF STARTING MATCH TO STAY IN HOTEL ROOMS RATHER THAN MOVING TO STADIUM.
NEW ZEALAND CRICKET ARE NOW MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO GET THEIR TEAM BACK IN COUNTRY AFTER FOLLOWING GUIDELINES OF NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT CONCERNING SECURITY ALERTS WITHOUT ARGUING ABOUT MEASURES TAKEN BY HOST.
NZC CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID WHITE OF GAVE A STATEMENT THAT “I UNDERSTAND THIS WILL BE A BLOW FOR PCB[PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD],WHO HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL HOSTS, BUT PLAYER SAFETY IS PARSMOUNT AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE ONLY RESPONSIBLE OPTION
PAKISTAN GUARANTEED NEW ZEALAND CRICKET OF HEIGHTENED SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS
PCB SAID THAT PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT ALWAYS ASSURED PROTECTION OF OVERSEASE PLAYERS. WE ALSO GIVE SUCH SURENESS TO NZC. IT STATES THAT PAK PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN HAVING PAST RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL CRICKET HAD CONVERSATION WITH NEW ZEALAND’S PM JACINDA ARDERN AND TOLD HER THAT THEY HAVE A SNEAK FORCE FOR PROTECTION OF VISITING TEAM. PCB ALSO MENTIONED THAT SECURITY OFFICIALS OF NEW ZEALAND TEAM WERE SEEMED TO BE SATISFIED WITH HOST ARRANGEMENTS.
