Tag: New Zealand

  • New Zealand to tour India for T20, Test series after abandoning Pakistan tour

    New Zealand to tour India for T20, Test series after abandoning Pakistan tour

    New Zealand will be visiting India in November to play three Twenty20 Internationals and two Test matches, two months after abandoning their tour of Pakistan over “safety concerns”.

    The series against New Zealand will kickstart India’s 2021-22 home season, which includes four Tests, three one-days and 14 T20Is, the Indian cricket board said in a statement on Monday.

    In a move that disappointed cricket analysts and enthusiasts, New Zealand called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan minutes before the opening fixture in Rawalpindi on Friday following a security alert from their government.

    India could not host the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or the T20World Cup because of the Covid-19 surge in the country this year.

    Both tournaments have been shifted to the United Arab Emirates, with Oman also hosting some T20 World Cup matches.

    West Indies will arrive in India in February to play six limited-overs matches, followed by Sri Lanka who will face their hosts in two Tests and three T20 matches.

    South Africa will tour India in June to play six T20 matches.

    Meanwhile, after New Zealand, England also cancelled their men and women teams’ tour to Pakistan.

  • ‘Pakistan provided more security to New Zealand’s team than their armed forces combined’: Sheikh Rasheed

    ‘Pakistan provided more security to New Zealand’s team than their armed forces combined’: Sheikh Rasheed

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Monday commented that Pakistan tasked more security personnel to ensure the safety of the New Zealand cricket team than their armed forces combined.

    Sheikh Rasheed’s comments come after New Zealand decided to unilaterally abandon the Pakistan series at the eleventh hour.

    Referring to the five-nation intelligence report on the basis of which the New Zealand government called the tour off, Rasheed questioned, “Where were these five countries that issued the threat alert when the security experts were visiting Pakistan and the team was practising on the same ground?”

    Rasheed informed the media that Pakistani intelligence agencies are one of the strongest agencies in the world.

    Responding to the Opposition’s criticism on the cricket series being cancelled, the minister said: “Don’t throw stones at others while living in a glasshouse. A day will come when all international teams will come to play in Pakistan.”

  • Shaniera Akram defends Pakistan, gets trolled

    Shaniera Akram defends Pakistan, gets trolled

    Shaniera Akram has defended Pakistan by saying that she feels safe in Pakistan than any other country.

    Taking to Twitter, she wrote: “There is no place in the world I feel more safe than in Pakistan.”

    Many thanked her for defending Pakistan, but she was also trolled for her tweet. Here are a few comments on her tweet, have a look:

    Meanwhile, the former cricketer and her husband Wasim Akram had tweeted, “I think the world underestimates how powerful our security forces are. Cricket is more than a sport to us and we will do everything in our power to prevent [it] being taken from us again.” He went on, “The world needs to give us a chance to prove that!”

    Read More – ‘NZ just killed Pakistan cricket’: Pak cricketers react after tour cancellation

    NZ Board called off the tour upon a security alert cited by their government and as soon as the news broke out, several foreign cricketers including West Indies cricketer Daren Sammy, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Perera, Grant Eliot and WI’s Sherfane Rutherford also voiced support for Pakistan after New Zealand’s pull out.

  • ‘No security problem in Pak’: Daren Sammy reacts to New Zealand’s decision

    ‘No security problem in Pak’: Daren Sammy reacts to New Zealand’s decision

    Former West Indian captain Daren Sammy has said that there is no security problem in Pakistan. He also expressed his disappointment at New Zealand cancelling its Pakistan series due to “security reasons”.

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Sammy said that field experts are saying that if Pakistan is safe, then one should trust then. “I have been coming to Pakistan for the last 6 years, it has always been a good experience.”

    While talking about New Zealand cancelling the tour, he said: “I was very disappointed with New Zealand’s decision. There is no security problem in Pakistan. I remember people used to ask me to go to Pakistan or not but now people ask me to go to Pakistan and play golf and eat.”

    He said that attacks have taken place in New Zealand and England, incidents have also been seen in Australia, and incidents are happening everywhere in the world but there is no noise. He also added that the situation in Pakistan has changed. “Earlier, people used to ask, is it safe to go to Pakistan? Now people ask where to go and eat in Pakistan.”

    The New Zealand cricket team cancelled their tour shortly before the first ODI match against Pakistan on the grounds of security reasons, which has drawn frustration from cricket fans all over the world. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to take a strong stand against the New Zealand Cricket Board.

  • ‘Same route, same security but no threat today?’: Mohammad Hafeez questions the Black Caps departure

    ‘Same route, same security but no threat today?’: Mohammad Hafeez questions the Black Caps departure

    Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez took to Twitter to question the departure of the Black Caps, and tweeted, “Thanks to the security of Pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today???”

    A day after New Zealand abandoned their Pakistan tour, the newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Saturday called on players to channel their frustration into their performance.

    In a video message, shared by the PCB, Ramiz Raja said: “Release your frustration and anger by channeling it towards your performance.”

    “Everyone will want to play against you. So I want us to learn from this, move forward, and keep strong. There is no need to be disappointed,” said Ramiz.

    “We will do whatever we can and you will soon get to hear good news and results,” said the chairman.

    “It is a shared pain and whatever happened is not right for Pakistani cricket,” he said, calling the situation an “unfortunate scenario”.

    “We have experienced such situations in the past but we have always moved forward. We have a lot of resilience and strength, and that is because of the fans and the cricket team,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a PCB official speaking with Dawn said, “This is a blow to the efforts the PCB, the government, and the security agencies who had been making to fully restore international cricket in Pakistan.”

    “The ICC has done nothing in these cases,” the official added. “Furthermore since the Indian lobby is strong at the ICC, so it will not be easy for the PCB to win any case of compensation against New Zealand.”

    “There isn’t much hope that England will tour now,” said the official.

    On Friday, the New Zealand cricket team had backed out of its tour of Pakistan over security concerns minutes before the first match was scheduled to start at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

  • New Zealand’s disappointing decision

    New Zealand’s disappointing decision

    Yesterday was a dark day for Pakistan cricket when New Zealand unilaterally decided to abandon the Pakistan series over “security threats” just minutes before the first One-Day International (ODI) match was about to begin in Rawalpindi. This decision was taken without sharing any details of the security threat with the host country. New Zealand was visiting Pakistan after 18 years.

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja tweeted how frustrating it was and said that New Zealand will “hear us at ICC”. Prime Minister Imran Khan also spoke with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern but could not convince her to reconsider this unilateral decision. “When I spoke with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, I conveyed our thanks for taking care of the New Zealand Cricket team. I know how disappointing it will be for everyone that the game hasn’t gone ahead, but we totally support the decision that’s been made. Player safety has to be paramount,” PM Ardern told Reuters.

    New Zealand’s decision is a huge blow and setback to Pakistan cricket. The terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009 left Pakistan cricket in chaos for years. There were no international cricket matches in Pakistan and it took us many years to convince smaller cricketing nations to gradually but surely bring back cricket to Pakistan. Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi managed to convince teams and international players to visit Pakistan. Our security forces, police, cricket management, and many others made sure that all visiting teams and players were given fool-proof security, even if it meant shutting down cities.

    Cricket fans did not complain about the inconvenience either because they understood how vital it was to make the visiting teams feel safe so as to make sure that international cricket properly returns to Pakistan. This year was going to be extremely important with New Zealand and English cricket teams’ tours. Next year, Australia is also supposed to tour Pakistan. Now – with New Zealand abandoning its tour – the England tour is also up in the air for another 24 hours as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday that due to the security threat to New Zealand, the ECB will “decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed”.

    PCB officials told Dawn that Pakistan will suffer financial losses in millions. And it is not just about the financial loss but the loss of so many years of efforts made by the security officials, PCB, Pakistani players, and many other unsung heroes who made sure that cricket comes back to Pakistan. Pakistani cricket fans are disappointed, angry and depressed, and rightly so. We know that Pakistan cricket will overcome this. But it hurts. Pakistan Zindabad!

  • Conspiracy behind NZ tour cancellation, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Conspiracy behind NZ tour cancellation, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed in a press conference said, “The New Zealand (NZ)authorities do not have substantive proof of threat in Pakistan.”

    “New Zealand took a unilateral decision to cancel the Pakistan tour despite the country’s tight security arrangements for the team,” said Rasheed.

    The interior minister said NZ team’s security in-charge spoke to government officials in the morning and informed them of a threat. When the officials asked for further details, the NZ security in-charge “did not have any”, he added.

    Pakistan had deployed commandos from Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG), soldiers, and 4,000 policemen for the matches in Rawalpindi, Sheikh Rasheed said.

    “We also tried to convince them to play the match without spectators. But they did not agree to it,” he disclosed.

    “None of our intelligence agencies, which are among the best in the world, have any information about a threat. Pakistan is playing a major role in the region and they do not want us to prosper.”

    Indian media was “defaming Pakistan”, said the interior minister, adding that its designs would be foiled.

    “We have sacrificed before and peace will prevail here at all costs,” he stressed.

    Following this, the Pakistani officials spoke to Prime Minister Imran Khan — who is currently in Tajikistan.

    “The prime minister was briefed on the matter. He then called New Zealand Prime Minister [Jacinda Ardern] and assured her that there was no security threat,” the interior minister said.

    However, Ardern said the NZ government had “received intelligence that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium”, Sheikh Rasheed added.

    “It is their decision. We had deployed heavy security for the team. Pakistan is a peace promoter in the world. And this tour was cancelled through a conspiracy. It is their (NZ’s) problem and what they decide.”

  • ‘NZ just killed Pakistan cricket’: Pak cricketers react after tour cancellation

    ‘NZ just killed Pakistan cricket’: Pak cricketers react after tour cancellation

    Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar and others have expressed their disappointment after the New Zealand cricket board abandoned Pakistan series at the last minute.

    Taking to Twitter, Babar wrote: “Extremely disappointed on the abrupt postponement of the series, which could have brought the smiles back for millions of Pakistan Cricket Fans. I’ve full trust in the capabilities and credibility of our security agencies. They are our pride and always will be! Pakistan Zindabad!”

    While Shoaib Akhtar wrote: “NZ just killed Pakistan cricket.”

    “On a HOAX threat you have called-off the tour despite all assurances! @BalackCaps do you understand the IMPACT of your decision,” questioned Afridi.

    The series has been postponed after New Zealand expressed security threats. Despite Prime Minister Imran Khan talking to New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and ensuring her that the levels of securities are high, the series was called off.

  • ‘NZ will hear us at ICC’: Ramiz Raja enraged after series abandonment

    ‘NZ will hear us at ICC’: Ramiz Raja enraged after series abandonment

    The newly appointed Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has lashed out at New Zealand cricket board after they abandoned the series at the last minute. While transnational players, including Grant Eliot and Daren Sammy, also expressed their disappointment on the news.

    Taking to Twitter, PCB Chairman wrote: “Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players. Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it’s not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC.”

    Meanwhile, transnational cricketer including Daren Sammy, Michael Vaughan, Angelo Perera, Grant Elliot and Sherfane Rutherford also shared their views on the cancellation of the series.

    https://twitter.com/SRutherford_50/status/1438807718727462917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1438807718727462917%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecurrent.pk%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D131302action%3Dedit
    https://twitter.com/angiperera/status/1438827329057292288?s=20

    The black Caps were set to play three ODIs and five T20Is in Pindi and Lahore respectively.

    New Zealand’s cricket board said arrangements were being made for the team’s departure back home, citing an escalation in threat levels and the advice of security advisors.

  • New Zealand cancels Pak series due to ‘security concerns’ despite PM Khan’s call to NZ PM

    New Zealand cancels Pak series due to ‘security concerns’ despite PM Khan’s call to NZ PM

    New Zealand’s whole tour of Pakistan has been abandoned due to security concerns.

    “Earlier today, New Zealand Cricket informed us they had been alerted to some security alert and have unilaterally decided to postpone the series,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a statement.

    “Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Government made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams. We have assured the New Zealand Cricket of the same. 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,” said the statement.

    “The security officials with the New Zealand team have been satisfied with security arrangements made by the Pakistan Government throughout their stay here,” it added.

    The statement concluded, “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 Black Caps reached Pakistan on September 11 and were set to play three ODIs and five T20Is. Spectators outside the stadium were set to enter the when the first ODI between the teams was called off just a few minutes before the toss.

    Meanwhile, a sports journalist Elliot Smith has shared a statement that arrangements for the departure of NZ team are now being made.

    https://twitter.com/elliottnz/status/1438797782723088386?s=20