Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja on Thursday (October 7) confirmed that the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) was "now rescheduling the tour" to Pakistan.
Last month, the Kiwis pulled out of the white-ball series in Pakistan citing security concerns, minutes before the toss for the first ODI. They were scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is in Rawalpindi and Lahore from September 17 to October 3.
According to a report published in Dawn, Ramiz said -- while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination -- that the NZC was rescheduling the tour as a result of the pressure put on by Pakistan.
However, the committee chairman Raza Rabbani suggested the PCB chief to turn down New Zealand's tour of Pakistan.
"What if we do not allow the New Zealand tour?" Rabbani was quoted as saying.
In response, Ramiz said: "We have to live with them. But we can tell them that Pakistan can find a time window for the tour at some point in 2022. And if New Zealand were ready to play according to our conditions, then we should have no problem."
Three days after New Zealand’s pull-out, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced that they will not send their men and women’s team on the tour of Pakistan, which was scheduled to be held this month.
ECB had cited the mental wellbeing of their players as the reason behind the decision.
The cancellation of recent tours is a big setback to the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, which has not been able to host major cricketing nations on a regular basis in the aftermath of a 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team.
(With IANS inputs)
