Fans of cricket were left heartbroken on Friday after New Zealand pulled out of their scheduled ODI series against Pakistan due to a “security threat” in the country.
The move was met with much condemnation in Pakistan, with fans disappointed in NZ’s last-minute decision. Celebs including Humayun Saeed, Faysal Qureshi, Asim Azhar, and Anoushey Ashraf among others also voiced out against the Black Caps, dubbing their move “strange” and “disappointing”.
“Strange and disturbing move by New Zealand. The entire world is aware, law and order in Pakistan is under complete control,” said Meray Paas Tum Ho star Humayun Saeed on his official Twitter.
He went on to highlight the prowess of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and said, “Last-minute cancellation without any proof makes NO sense! Disappointing for millions of fans!”
Singer Asim Azhar also expressed disappointment at the news, tweeting, “Its sad but its ok. We’re a nation used to bouncing back. Pakistan is safe and always will be.”
He added that Pakistan will still welcome NZ and other teams because “that’s who we are” and openly challenged teams competing in the upcoming World Cup, saying, “Beware of a cornered Pakistan, World. See you at the T20 world cup!”
Anoushey Ashraf took to her Twitter handle to share a post paying tribute to Wasim Khan who is credited for the revival of cricket in Pakistan in the post. She went on to add her own take to the situation, writing, “We all know who’s behind this pettiness. But we have seen worse and will wait for the games to return with patience and resilience still.”
Cricketing legend Wasim Akram’s wife Shaniera Akram, an Australian activist, also vouched for safety in Pakistan, tweeting, “There is no place in the world I feel more safe than in Pakistan.”
Actor Faysal Qureshi also joined in on the Twitter trend #PAKvsNZ, saying NZ’s decision left him disappointed. “This is just sad and shocking after all the work that had been put in by the organisers as well as the team. Millions of cricket fans have been let down today,” he tweeted.
Farhan Saeed on the other hand deemed Pakistan “as safe as it gets” on his Twitter handle.
“Pakistan is as safe as it gets for any cricketing nation that comes here. Unfortunate to see the unilateral cancellation of the #PAKvNZ series – a sad day for international cricket,” he said.
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, ARY News reported.
Separately the official Twitter handle of New Zealand Cricket also confirmed the development and said, “arrangements are now being made for the team’s departure.” read more
It is pertinent to note that Prime Minister Imran Khan also spoke to New Zealand premier Jacinda Adern personally and reassured her that Pakistan has the “best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team”.
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