ISLAMABAD: It was extremely unfortunate that New Zealand cancelled its cricket team tour of Pakistan and called its team back just hours before when the two teams were about to start the first on day match of the series in Rawalpindi.
Since it was unexpected shot from New Zealand it sent a big wave of shock to entire Pakistani nation, which was happy over New Zealand’s team tour to Pakistan after 18 years. Every one in Pakistan resented New Zealand’s decision of cancelling Pakistan’s visit on the pretext of security threat.
Soon afrer New Zealand’s announcement of cancelling the Pakistan tour, prime minister, Imran Khan, himself spoke to New Zealand’s prime minister to assure her that there was no threat to your team in Pakistan as we have the most reliable security arrangements in place to protect the cricket teams. But New Zealand’s prime minister remained stuck to her government decision to call back her cricket team from Pakistan.
New Zealand’s decision to call back its team from Pakistan was widely condemed in Pakistan. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) newly elected chairman , Rameez Raja, announced to take New Zealand to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the issue . He told media that PCB will take New Zealand Board to ICC to investigate the matter.
Pakistan has strong feelinga that New Zealand played a role to become a tool to New Delhi to make Pakistan worse victim of international conspiracy by cancelling cricket series.
Interior minister , Shaikh Rashid Ahmad deplored the decision of New Zealand and said calling the cricket team back by New Zealand was a well planned conspiracy against Pakistan. The politicians, except vice president , Maryam Nawaz, every one condemned New Zealand for cancelling its cricket tour to Pakistan. Maryam Nawaz used this matter of Pakistan’s soverignity to keep playing dirty politics.
The cricket fans remained baffled over minute by minute development about New Zealand cricket team tour to Pakistan.
Pakistan and New Zealand teams were scheduled to play first one -day match of the series in Rawalpindi on September 17, 2021 . Both teams had already reached Rawalpimdi and their players were doing practice at Rawalpindi cricket stadium. PCB had made extremely tight security arrangements to provide a foolproof security cover to both teams.
Then all of a sudden local electronic media broke the news of positive testing of COVID-19 of two Kiwi players . Initially, both teams were directed by PCB to stay in their hotel rooms . After a couple of hours, PCB announced to cancel Pak- Kiwi cricket series. According to PCB, the visiting cricket team was returning to New Zealand.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket Board also issued a statemen, confirming cancellation of tour of its team to Pakistan..
The new development was unexHApected for the cricket lovers of Pakistan who were anxiously waiting to see New Zealand team in action in Pakistan after 18 years.
