Tag: NZvPak

  • NZ to play Test match in Karachi after 22 years

    NZ to play Test match in Karachi after 22 years

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday released the match schedule of New Zealand men’s cricket team’s upcoming dual tours of Pakistan. NZ will play two Tests as part of their ICC World Test Championship title defence and three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League fixtures from 27 December to 15 January, before returning for five T20Is and five ODIs from 13 April to 7 May.
    The Karachi Test will be New Zealand’s first in the city since October 1990.

    “We had promised our passionate fans that we will deliver high-quality home international cricket in 2022. Today’s announcement of New Zealand’s double visit to Pakistan is part of that commitment,” said PCB Director, Zakir Khan.

    He also stated that, “New Zealand is one of the high-performing sides and the more we will play against the top teams in our backyard, the better we will get as a unit, which is crucial to our objective of featuring inside the top-three across all formats. The New Zealand matches will also provide opportunities to our youngsters to continue to watch and follow their favourite players in action, something they have missed when we were forced to play our international cricket offshore.”

    Here is the schedule:

    Pakistan vs New Zealand:
    27-31 Dec – 1st Test, Karachi (ICC World Test Championship)
    4-8 Jan – 2nd Test, Multan (ICC World Test Championship)
    11 Jan – 1st ODI, Karachi (ICC Super League)
    13 Jan – 2nd ODI, Karachi (ICC Super League)
    15 Jan – 3rd ODI, Karachi (ICC Super League)
    13 Apr – 1st T20I, Karachi

    15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Karachi
    16 Apr – 3rd T20I, Karachi
    19 Apr – 4th T20I, Karachi
    23 Apr – 5th T20I, Lahore
    26 Apr – 1st ODI, Lahore
    28 Apr – 2nd ODI, Lahore
    1 May – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi

    4 May – 4th ODI, Rawalpindi
    7 May – 5th ODI, Rawalpindi

  • PCB receive food bill of Rs 27 lakh for security hired for New Zealand team

    PCB receive food bill of Rs 27 lakh for security hired for New Zealand team

    New Zealand’s much-awaited tour of Pakistan was called off in an unfortunate manner. Although the Kiwi team landed in Pakistan for three ODIs and five T20Is, they were called back without playing a single match. The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) cited security concerns behind the sudden cancellation of the tour.

    With the significance of this series being so high, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had made several preparations. However, they faced disappointment as the tour was called off. As per the latest development, PCB are set to endure huge financial losses due to the cancellation of the series. In fact, the cricket board is staring at a hefty amount just to pay the food bills of security officials hired for the Kiwi team.

    As per reports, the security agencies hired for the Blackcaps came at a huge cost. If that was not enough, PCB needs to spend around Rs 27 lakhs just to pay off the food bills of the officers who were in charge of security of the New Zealand team. If reports are to be believed, five SPs and over 500 SSPs (police officers) were deployed for the security of the Kiwis along with the Pakistan Army in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

    As per a report, each security personnel was served Biriyani twice a day, the cost of which came to approximately Rs 27 lakhs. Meanwhile, the tour was called off hours before the first ODI was to begin in Rawalpindi.

    “The side was to play Pakistan this evening in the first of three ODIs in Rawalpindi, before moving to Lahore for a five-match T20 series. However, following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour,” NZC said in the statement calling off the tour.

    Meanwhile, both Pakistan and New Zealand are currently gearing up for the high-voltage T20 World Cup. While the Men in Green have clinched the 2009 edition of the competition, the trophy is still elusive for the Kiwis.

  • NZ coach urges players to block out noise around T20 World Cup opener against Pak

    NZ coach urges players to block out noise around T20 World Cup opener against Pak

    New Zealand cricket team coach Gary Stead urged his players to block out the noise around the upcoming Twenty20 (T20) World Cup opener against Pakistan.

    According to Stuff, Stead said, “Certainly, being that it’s Pakistan, people will hype that up, but for us, it’s no different to any other match we play against them.”

    The Kiwis will begin their World T20 campaign against Pakistan on October 26 at Sharjah after cancelling the tour of Pakistan minutes before the first One-Day International (ODI), citing a ‘security threat’.

    Stead admitted that the decision to abandon the tour was disappointing for Pakistan but explained that it was not the team’s decision to make.

    “Sometimes you don’t get made aware of everything, either. It’s really hard for me to comment on,” he said.

    Following New Zealand’s abrupt decision, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also called off their Pakistan tour.

  • ‘A real shame’: NZ captain displeased with his team’s decision

    ‘A real shame’: NZ captain displeased with his team’s decision

    New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has expressed his displeasure with his team over the decision to pull out of its tour of Pakistan.

    “I don’t know the details of yesterday. It was a sudden call, but obviously, a real shame,” said the captain.

    The Kiwi captain said there is so much passion in Pakistan and that he dreaded that the “guys will be gutted” to not have started and played the whole series.

    I will find out a bit more about it over the next few days, Williamson said, admitting that he does not know full details of the incident.

    “Players’ safety is paramount and when you hear messages going through from the government, it is certainly above the players’ heads,” Williamson said.

    Williamson shared his empathy towards the Pakistani players his team was set to be pitted against on the pitch. “They were obviously over there, ready to go to the ground. It is a sudden thing that happened.”

    He said he certainly hoped 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.

    Meanwhile, Williamson was not part of the team that arrived in Pakistan for the series but he said he was aware of what happened and was concerned.

  • New Zealand cricket chief open to rescheduling of abandoned Pakistan series

    New Zealand cricket chief open to rescheduling of abandoned Pakistan series

    New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Chief Executive David White on Monday expressed willingness to discuss the rescheduling of the Pakistan series the Black Caps abandoned last week, but said talks of touring the country again were premature considering the team’s schedule was already tight.

    The Black Caps devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on September 17 after unilaterally quitting their visit minutes before the first ODI was to be played citing “security concerns”.

    In a new report, New Zealand media website Stuff quoted White, saying: “We’ve got a very close working relationship with Pakistan Cricket. We’d like to think that over the next few days, weeks and months that we’ll work through this to ensure that we play the content that we’ve missed out on and we continue our close working relationship.”

    “As we know they’re a very passionate cricketing nation and they’re obviously disappointed. We understand their disappointment,” he added.

    According to the report, the NZC chief was hopeful the matches would be rescheduled but was not sure about when as the Future Tours Programme was already “pretty tight”.

    Regarding compensating the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for lost revenue, White said the issue would be discussed in due course. He hoped that the decision to abandon the tour would not be held against NZC when the time came for Pakistan to tour New Zealand.

    He also said that it was too soon to comment on the prospect of the Black Caps touring Pakistan again anytime soon.

    “I think what’s important to point out is that for every tour we go on, whether it’s Pakistan or England or anywhere, that we go through a very thorough process covering security, etc. This was no exception. In fact, it was probably more in this case.”

    “I can’t answer that question at the moment, it’s too early. But we’ll assess every tour on its merits,” he said.

    On Friday, the New Zealand team had unilaterally postponed the series with Pakistan minutes before the first match was scheduled to start at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — a move that had shocked fans and officials.

    According to the PCB, Pakistan had “foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams” and had “assured NZC of the same”.

  • 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.

  • ‘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.

  • ‘We totally support the decision’: NZ PM Jacinda Ardern on Pakistan tour abandonment

    ‘We totally support the decision’: NZ PM Jacinda Ardern on Pakistan tour abandonment

    New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday backed her cricket board’s decision to call off the entire tour of Pakistan after a security alert just minutes before the first ODI in Rawalpindi, as the safety of the players was paramount.

    New Zealand Cricket said it received a security alert from its government and made the decision to cancel the tour just moments before the scheduled start of the One-Day International (ODI) series.

    This was going to be New Zealand’s first international cricket series in Pakistan in 18 years but sadly, it had to be called off after the visiting side refused to come to the stadium and stayed put inside their hotel rooms citing security concerns.

    Pakistan were scheduled to host New Zealand for a series of 3 ODIs and 5 T20 internationals in Rawalpindi and Lahore from September 17 to October 3.

    “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,” Ardern said in a statement sent to Reuters.

    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.

  • Babar Azam reportedly not happy with Pakistan’s T20 squad selection

    Babar Azam reportedly not happy with Pakistan’s T20 squad selection

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam is reportedly amongst the many who are disappointed with Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) squad selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

    Read More – Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    According to Geo News, the skipper was not informed about the selection of the team for the mega-event.

    Moreover, it was revealed that he is reportedly not pleased with inclusion of Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood, who were added by the chief selector after discussion with PCB chairman-in-waiting Ramiz Raja.

    The power-hitter wanted to include Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf in the team, per the insiders, who added that Babar contacted Raja to discuss the selection but his suggestions fell on deaf ears.

    The report also revealed that the selection of the 15-man squad sent a message to Babar about directing his focus solely on playing rather than selection of the players.

    Babar isn’t the only one who is reportedly dismayed by the players selected for the World Cup. Former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who resigned on Monday as the head coach, also had doubts over the selection of Azam Khan.

  • PAK vs NZ Test: Best vs worst performances

    PAK vs NZ Test: Best vs worst performances

    New Zealand bowled out Pakistan by 186 runs in the second Test match at Christchurch on Wednesday, beating by an innings and 176 runs to sweep the series 2-0 and top the world rankings for the first time.

    The home team presented their career best performances while the visitors show-cased their career worst performances. Meanwhile, Shan Masood led the board with his quacktrick.

    https://twitter.com/DennisCricket_/status/1346406792020967426?s=08

    Kyle Jamieson took three of the four dismisals after lunch as Pakistan went to tea on day four in Christchurch at 134 for seven, needing a further 228 runs to make New Zealand bat again.

    The 2.3 metre (6ft 8in) Jamieson had figures of six for 38 to go with his five for 69 in the first innings to become the first bowler to take more than 10 wickets in a Test at Hagley Oval.

    The Kiwi bowler with his 11 wickets was the nightmare for the opponent team as he became the first bowler to take more than 10 wickets in a Test at Hagley Oval, leading him to win the Player of the Match award.

    Meanwhile, the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson with Man of the Series performance led from the front taking his team to not only a series victory but also the number one ranked Test team in the world right now.

    The 30-year-old scored 388 runs in the two Tests at a whopping average of 129 including a double ton in the same match.

    There was resistance from Azhar Ali (37), Abid Ali (26) and later Faheem Ashraf (28) and Zafar Gohar (37), but the batsmen couldn’t stitch together partnerships big enough to demotivate New Zealand, and that proved to be their undoing.

    Zafar Gohar, the debutant, resisted well thereafter, but Williamson got into the act with the ball at the other end, dismissing Shaheen Afridi (7). When Gohar then holed out off Boult, history was sealed.

    Williamson is also crowned as the first centurion of 2021.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan’s performance was the worst. Worst bowling, fielding and performances by the players except for Muhammad Rizwan, who tried his best in both the matches with his three half-centuries.

    Netizens criticised Masood for his performance in the Tests – the left-handed Pakistan opener scored a pair of ducks in the second Test against New Zealand, which when paired with his duck from the second innings of the previous Test gave him three straight failures.

    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi also expressed his disappointment over the national squad’s hapless performance in the second Test at Christchurch, describing it as “very poor”.

    His comments come in the wake of Pakistan’s crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the second Test match at Christchurch by an innings and 176 runs.