Agency :
Veteran Pak all-rounder Shahid Afridi is not impressed with New Zealand Cricket’s decision to pull out from the Pakistan tour moments before the start of the series, citing security concerns in Rawalpindi. The New Zealand Cricket on Friday cancelled their Pakistan tour at the last minute after receiving a security alert from its government.
“Following an escalation in the New Zealand government threat levels for Pakistan and advice from NZC security advisers on the ground, it has been decided the Black Caps will not continue with the tour,” NZC said in their official statement.
Following the Blackcaps’ withdrawal from the tour, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also spoke to his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern and tried to assure her about their security and urged her to continue with the visit. However, Ardern was not convinced and decided to stick with her decision to pull out her team from Pakistan.
However, New Zealand’s eleventh-hour withdrawal has left several former Pakistan players fuming with the Kiwi team’s management. And the loudest voice in the criticism is former Pakistan skipper Afridi. He even went on to claim that the security alert was a “hoax threat.”
“On a HOAX threat you have called off the tour despite all assurances,” Afridi tweeted. The former skipper’s tweet also hinted that the impact of New Zealand’s pullout is going to be huge for Pakistan cricket.
Meanwhile, legendary Pakistan seamer Shoaib Akhtar feels that New Zealand “killed Pakistan cricket” by this last-minute pullout. Akhtar also used several angry face emojis in his tweet.
It must be mentioned that it was New Zealand’s first Pakistan tourin the last 18 years. But, unfortunately, the tour was called off after the Blackcaps refused to come out of their hotel room after hearing about the security concerns.
New Zealand was scheduled to play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and five T20Is against Pakistan, starting from September 17.
