New Zealand pulled out of the white-ball series in Pakistan citing security issues in Rawalpindi, minutes before the toss for the first ODI. The team was scheduled to play three-ODIs and five-T20Is starting from September 17.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who did not travel for the series, opting to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), said that he hopes that the move to pull out does not have a long-lasting impact on cricket in Pakistan.
“I don’t know the details of yesterday. It was a sudden call, but obviously, a real shame. Cricket in Pakistan is an amazing thing and so well supported. There is so much passion there and I think the guys will be gutted to not have started and playing the whole series. But I am not sure of the details since I am in Dubai for the IPL. I will find out a bit more about it over the next few days,” Williamson told Sportstar on Saturday.
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The tour was abandoned by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) hours before the first ODI after receiving security alert from the New Zealand government. The board said that the security of its players was a priority and many felt that the move could affect other teams travelling to Pakistan in the future.
“I certainly hope not. You want to be playing the game in all countries. It is an international game and there is so much passion for it around the world, particularly in Pakistan. It was really exciting to see the series go back there and I know our team was looking forward to it. Players’ safety is paramount and when you hear messages going through from the government, it is certainly above the players’ heads,” Williamson said.
The New Zealand skipper added that giant strides had been taken to get international cricket back in Pakistan and hoped to see cricket being played in the country.
“They were obviously over there, ready to go to the ground. It is a sudden thing that happened. I certainly hope there is no lasting impact from it because it is a special place for cricket to be and there have been a lot of strides forward to see cricket go back into Pakistan and play there safely. We have seen that happen on a number of occasions, so hopefully, there is plenty more cricket there to come,” he added.
This was the third instance where a touring team left Pakistan citing security concerns. In 2003, a bomb exploded outside New Zealand’s team hotel hours before the 2nd Test in Karachi. New Zealand players escaped unhurt but 12 people were killed in the blast. The team left the country immediately.
The Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009 while going to the Gaddafi stadium for the third day’s play of the second Test. Six players of the team were injured while two civilians and six police men were killed.
Following the deadly incident, international teams refused to travel to Pakistan for nearly a decade and the country hosted matches in United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the last couple of years, international teams like Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh travelled to the country.
(With Spotstar inputs)
