Monitoring Desk
LAHORE: Following New Zealand’s unilateral decision to cancel Pakistan tour due to ‘security reasons’, the England Cricket board Spokesperson said that decision would be made on its tour to Pakistan within next 48 hours.
Sky sports quoted the spokesperson making this statement after New Zealand cancelled Pakistan’s tour amid ‘security threats’.
The Spokesperson said, “We’re aware of New Zealand’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour due to a security alert,”. He said, “We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation. The ECB Board will decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed,”.
The England men and women teams will play two T20I in Rawalpindi in October 13 and 14 while the women’s team will play three ODIs in Pakistan on October 17, 19 and 21.
Pakistan Cricket Board had said earlier that New Zealand Cricket informed them that they had been alerted to some security alert and had unilaterally decided to postpone the series.
It said, “Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Government made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams. We have assured the New Zealand Cricket of the same,”.
It also said, “The Pakistan prime minister spoke personally to the prime minister of New Zealand and informed her that we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team,” it added.
The PCB said that the security officials who travelled with the New Zealand team were satisfied with security arrangements made by the Pakistan government throughout their stay here.
“PCB is willing to continue the scheduled matches. However, cricket lovers in Pakistan and around the world will be disappointed by this last-minute withdrawal,” the PCB added.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that New Zealand does have substantial proof to claim ‘security threat’.
He said New Zealand took unilateral decision to cancel the tour suddenly at the eleventh hour.
