Tag: Tour Cancellation

  • 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.

  • ‘Mujhe afsos hai, England’s tour not cancelled over security’: British High Commissioner

    ‘Mujhe afsos hai, England’s tour not cancelled over security’: British High Commissioner

    British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner on Tuesday termed Pakistan as a safe country, saying that the England cricket team’s tour was not cancelled over security concerns.

    Speaking on ARY News programme, ‘Off The Record’, with Kashif Abbasi, the British High Commissioner dispelled an impression that the tour of the England team was cancelled over security concerns.

    Turner assured that the England team would tour Pakistan next year as they only had three matches scheduled for the now-cancelled tour in 2021. “Our players had been playing PSL and other leagues in Pakistan,” he said while once again reiterating that security was not the reason behind the cancellation of the tour.

    While appreciating Pakistan cricket team’s recent tour to England, he lauded the national team’s players for being a true and passionate ambassador of the game of cricket.

    Earlier, Turner also took to Twitter and released a video in which he expressed his sadness, saying that he is upset that the English board, “which is independent of the British government”, called off men and women’s tour of Pakistan in October.

    “The British High Commission supported the tour, did not advise against it on security grounds; and our travel advice for Pakistan has not changed,” he said.

    While talking to Muneeb Farooq, on Geo News‘ programme ‘Capital Talk’, the British High Commissioner said that from day one of his appointment, he is working for building the image of Pakistan and he has also changed the travel advisory for the country.

    “Not only with PCB, but I am also working with the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] for this day,” he added.

    He also said that this is not the story of people taking Pakistan down or any security issue, it is about the ECB and the players taking decision, and we must all work hard to change those perceptions and return to that day when cricket will return to Pakistan.

  • ‘Safe and home, Pakistan Zindabad’: Akcent supports Pakistan after New Zealand’s exit

    ‘Safe and home, Pakistan Zindabad’: Akcent supports Pakistan after New Zealand’s exit

    Romanian star-singer Adrian Sina, face of the music band Akcent extended his support to Pakistan in the wake of New Zealand’s sudden and disappointing abandonment of their Pakistan tour under the pretext of security concerns minutes before the first ODI started.

    Taking to social media, the official page of the band shared a video of a concert in Pakistan with a note which read: “I have been to Pakistan many times and I always felt it like a home. I feel safe there and the love I receive from Pakistan is beyond amazing. I will come back even more often. I love my fans! Pakistan Zindabad!”

    Earlier this month Akcent also extended support for Pakistani actor Ayesha Omar after her confessions on mental health.

    The Black Caps devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on September 17 after opting out of their tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI was to be played. They had cited a ‘security threat’ as the reason without divulging any further details.

  • 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.

  • England tour of South Africa cancelled after coronavirus outbreak

    The ODI series between England and South Africa has been officially called off after issues around Covid-19 became too big to overcome.

    Official confirmation of the abandonment on medical grounds came today (Monday) after a series of postponements and cancellations over the last three days.

    A joint statement released by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board stated the decision was taken by the two boards “to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams.” Both boards will work together to reschedule the series, which is part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League.

    England will return home without having played any of-the-three scheduled one-day internationals. The decision to call off the tour followed apparent breaches of the bio-secure environment at the hotel in Cape Town where both teams are staying.

    A South African player tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. Two hotel staff members then tested positive before two members of the England touring party returned what were described as “unconfirmed positive tests” on Sunday.

    The series was to have started in Cape Town on Friday but that match was cancelled an hour before the players were to take to the field after the South African player’s positive test. That match was re-scheduled and moved to Paarl on Sunday, but that match was cancelled following the positive results in the England camp.

    The teams played three Twenty20 internationals without any problems before the Covid-19 outbreak.

    “CSA and the ECB will now work together to determine when the three-match series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League, can take place in the future,” CSA tweeted.

    CSA Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender said: “The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us.”