New Zealand was concerned about the tour in Pakistan due to security concerns following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan.
New Zealand will go ahead with its tour of Pakistan under subject to a security review as the players had expressed their concerns. New Zealand will visit Pakistan in September for the first time in 18 years and the series will be played from September 11 to October 3.
Both teams will play three one-day internationals and five Twenty20 matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
“Reg will have the final word,”
Heath Mills, New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief, revealed on Saturday, August 21.
“He is our security expert appointed by the New Zealand Cricket (NZC). So he will do the pre-tour check. If he sees at any point in time that he is not comfortable or does not think the team will be safe, the tour will be reconsidered. The important thing to consider will be if the situation is for the team to come home. We are not the security experts, so he will take the decision. He will stay with the team throughout the tour.”
Mills said that whatever is happening in Afghanistan is unhappy and New Zealand players are feeling uneasy about touring Pakistan due to security concerns. But Mills did stress at this stage, it might be a little too early to anticipate the fate of the tour.
“Some of the guys have asked questions about the tour. We are very comfortable with the fact that Reg is heading to Pakistan. We are very confident that he will do a thorough job on the pre-tour. I anticipate that the tour will go ahead as planned, at this stage… For us, it is the first time to Pakistan in 18 years, since 2003. All of them are hopping onto the plane on Monday (to leave for Bangladesh). And hopefully once the pre-tour check is completed, they will be going to Pakistan in three weeks,”
Mills further said.
The sources said that the security consultant, Reg Dickson would visit Pakistan later this month and he will review the security situation there. When New Zealand had last visit Pakistan in 2002, Dickson was also part of the New Zealand side at that time.
The PCB Spokesperson said that Dickson is a consultant to the ECB too therefore he will give feedback to them as well regarding England’s men and women teams tours to Pakistan scheduled for October.
Also read about: England’s first tour of Pakistan