New Zealand Tour Of Pakistan To Go Ahead After Security Clearance

The New Zealand cricket team has been given the go-ahead for their tour of Pakistan which commences on September 11. A Kiwi security team cleared any doubts regarding the safety of their players.

The tour will be the first time in 18 years that a Black Caps squad travels to an Asian country. The series includes three ODI’s followed by as many T20I’s. It will mostly be the ‘B’ team that travels since the majority of first-team members have chosen their IPL contracts over this series.

“The pre-tour check has been completed and the tour will be continuing as planned so far. We have confidence in the security team and the various arrangements in place for the tour,” confirmed Heath Mills, chief executive of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA).

The Kiwi board had appointed ESI, a specialized firm consisting of security experts. They primarily protect high-profile people and professional sporting teams as well as corporate staff. Reg Dickason and David Sears, who have previously served Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), were involved in the procedures.

“During their visit, they have also met with all the relevant security personnel and discussed security and medical arrangements (bio-secure), following which they submitted their report to the NZC.”

“Reg will stay with the NZ team until the end of their tour, while David will stay until the conclusion of England women’s tour of Rawalpindi,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed.

Mills had earlier stated that the security team has the authority to call off the tour anytime they feel that the security is not up to the mark. The three ODI’s will be played at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi while the T20I’s will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

New Zealand’s T20I squad

Tom Latham (c, wk), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

New Zealand’s ODI squad

Tom Latham (c, wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (only ODI), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (only T20I), Blair Tickner, Will Young.

Also Read– Pakistan To Allow 25% Crowd In For The White-Ball Series Against New Zealand