"From the players' point of view....": Henry Nicholls' big statement on Pakistan's security arrangements ahead of T20I series

The New Zealand cricket team arrived in Pakistan to play a five-match T20I series, which is set to get underway on April 18. Since the Pakistan versus New Zealand T20I series clashes with the ongoing IPL 2024, several top Kiwi stars will not feature in the series.

Ahead of the first T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls expressed his confidence in the safety measures in place in Pakistan for the upcoming series. He mentioned that the Black Caps have full trust in the security arrangements provided by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

It is New Zealand's third tour of Pakistan in the last 17 months, and the New Zealand players seem to be satisfied with their security and safety arrangements in the country. Notably, the New Zealand cricket team abruptly ended their tour of Pakistan due to security concerns in 2021.

Henry Nicholls praises Pakistan's safety measures

However, the Black Caps surprised the cricket world by making two visits to Pakistan in 2023, which showed a big change in their stance towards touring the Asian country.

As the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 approaches, the upcoming T20I series will serve as a great platform for New Zealand and Pakistan to fine-tune their games and finalize their squads for the mega event.

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Notably, the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA from June 1–29. The New Zealand squad has already landed in Pakistan, and this tour symbolizes the strengthening of cricketing ties between the two countries.

Henry Nicholls was quoted as saying by Times of India: “We seem to have been there a bit in the last few years. From the players' point of view, we feel incredibly safe. We've been looked after really well by Pakistan when we've been there. Each time I've been there, I felt safe and the security has been top-notch.”

Notably, the Black Caps were heavily criticized by the world, especially Pakistanis, after they left the country just before the start of the white-ball series in 2021. However, the Kiwis were convinced to travel to Pakistan after two years in 2023, and now they are once again in the country to play a T20I series.

We know that we are missing a few players: Mark Chapman

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, and Kane Williamson won’t feature in the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan due to their Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) commitments.

However, Mark Chapman admitted that New Zealand will miss their key players in the T20I series against Pakistan, but it is a great opportunity for others to step up and show their talent against the full-strength Pakistan team. Chapman hopes fans will get to see a competitive series in Pakistan.

Mark Chapman said at the pre-match press conference in Rawalpindi: “We know that we are missing a few players. The team we have got here comprises an exciting bunch of players. There are some very talented players in the team the ones who have shown great skills and performance in domestic cricket. Boys are excited to give their best in the series.”