Pakistan raises New Zealand's tour cancellation at diplomatic level: sources

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday raised a decision from New Zealand cricket authorities to pull out from a five-match T20 series at the diplomatic level, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources, Pakistan has raised the sudden pull out of the New Zealand cricket team from the tour at the diplomatic level with the foreign ministry sending a communiqué to the authorities in Wellington protesting over the decision.

Pakistan’s ambassador to New Zealand has also called for an explanation from the authorities in Wellington regarding the nature of the threat alert received by them that forced them to abandon the series.

The New Zealand Cricket Board on Friday informed Pakistan Cricket Board and government that they have been “alerted to some security alert” and have thus decided to postpone the series scheduled to be played in Pakistan without consultation.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, however, termed the abrupt cancellation of Pakistan tour by New Zealand cricket team as a conspiracy saying that security institutes did not receive any threat in this regard.

“This is an effort to tarnish our image and the New Zealand authorities unilaterally decided to cancel the tour,” he said.

“New Zealand’s prime minister spoke to our prime minister conveying that the team could be attacked after stepping out of their hotel,” he said adding that Imran Khan assured complete security to the team.

We also offered New Zealand to play matches without public attendance after the recent development, however, they did not agree to it,” he said while terming the cancellation of the tour as a conspiracy but stop short of taking the name of those behind it.