New Zealand will go ahead of their tour to Pakistan after subject to clearance from security consultant Reg Dickason after some New Zealand played expressed their concern of touring Pakistan following the Taliaban’s takeover of neighbouring country Afghanistan. New Zealand are going to reach Islamabad on Setember11 to play three ODI and Five T20I in Rawalpindi and Lahore until October 3.
Due to the security concerns however New Zealand Cricket officials have now commissioned international security consultant and expert, Reg Dickason to visit Pakistan later this week to carry out a thorough security and also COVID-19 assessment. This is done in order to assess the situation and also to take a decision of whether to send their team to Pakistan or not.
An official source in the Pakistan Cricket Board stated that “Dickason has been a regular visit to Pakistan to carry out security and other cricket related assessment for the International Cricket Council and other boards in recent years so we are confident there is no one better than him to give a compressive report on the security situation in the region following the events in Afghanistan”.
New Zealand will have to miss seven to eight of their kay players including their team captain Kane Williamson in this limited tour of Pakistan. Several players along with their captain Kane Williamson namely Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Siefert, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchel Santner, have to miss their tour due to IPL commitments. While other players namely Tim Southee and Devon Conway are also unavailable for Pakistan Tour.
New Zealand Cricket said on Wednesday that the players would have the right to withdraw from the tour if felt uneasy about touring Pakistan even if the tour went ahead on the advice Dickason and other assessments.
Due to the absence of New Zealand regular skipper Kane Williamson the captaincy role has given to another senior player that is Tom Latham. If the New Zealand tour Pakistan it will be first time since 2003. New Zealand also ahs sent one of their officials and a security consultant to Bangladesh for a reconnaissance visit as their first visits Bangladesh and then go to Pakistan.