Special flight with New Zealand cricket team onboard departs from Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A 33-member squad of the New Zealand cricket team on Saturday left Pakistan for United Arab Emirates (UAE), a day after the country announced to pull out from the scheduled five-match T-20 series, ARY NEWS reported.

A chartered plane had arrived at the Islamabad International Airport earlier in the day after a delay of over an hour to fetch the New Zealand players. The plane earlier had to arrive at the Islamabad airport at 5:00 pm.

“Before their departure, the players underwent a COVID test that came out negative, paving way for their exit,” they 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.

The media statement of Pakistan Cricket Board, following the postponement of the first of one day international (ODI), said that New Zealand Cricket unilaterally decided to postpone the series.

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.”

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”.

“Pakistan Government made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams,” PCB said following the event.