Black Caps arrive in Dubai after abandoning Pakistan tour

The Black Caps have arrived in Dubai after abandoning their tour of Pakistan.

The squad left Islamabad on a charter flight last night.

New Zealand Cricket cancelled the tour on Friday night, just before the start of the first one-dayer in Rawalpindi, citing a security threat.

The 34 players and support staff are now undergoing a 24-hour period of self-isolation in a Dubai hotel.

Twenty-four of the group will return to New Zealand over the next week or so, as flights and MIQ rooms become available.

The MIQ arrangements initially booked for these squad members at the end of the Pakistan tour will now be cancelled.

The rest of the touring party will remain in the UAE and join up with the Black Caps T20 World Cup squad, with the tournament starting on 17 October.

The Black Caps were scheduled to play three one-dayers and five T20s in Pakistan in New Zealand’s first tour to the country in 18 years.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said he was grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for helping organise the safe departure of the New Zealand team.

“We appreciate this has been a terribly difficult time for the PCB and wish to pass on our sincere thanks to chief executive Wasim Khan and his team for their professionalism and care.

Photo: NZ Cricket

White said NZC and the Black Caps had been very much looking forward to the Pakistan series but were faced with no option but to abandon the tour after receiving, on Friday, advice from the New Zealand government of a specific, credible threat.

This advice was supported by NZC’s security consultants – who were on the ground in Pakistan, and by other independent sources.

While the general tenor of the threat was immediately shared with the PCB, Mr White reiterated that specific details could not, and will not, be disclosed – privately or publicly.

“What I can say is that we were advised this was a specific and credible threat against the team.

“We had several conversations with New Zealand government officials before making the decision and it was after informing the PCB of our position that we understand a telephone discussion was conducted between the respective Prime Ministers.

“Unfortunately, given the advice we’d received, there was no way we could stay in the country.”

White said NZC remained comfortable with its initial decision to tour Pakistan, based on comprehensive assessments of the security situation, and the risk mitigation measures promised.

“Everything changed on Friday,” he said.

“The advice changed, the threat level changed and, as a consequence, we took the only responsible course of action possible.”