New Zealand Cricket approve Pakistan tour
The Black Caps tour of Pakistan in 2002 was cut short after a bomb exploded outside their hotel
(Web Desk) – New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday approved the upcoming tour of Pakistan after receiving security clearance.
According to media reports, the Black Caps will play three ODIs in Rawalpindi and five T20s in Lahore with the tour wrapping up on October 3.
NZCPA chief Heath Mills told Stuff earlier this month that Dickason would accompany the team in Pakistan, adding: “At any point if he’s uncomfortable he would communicate that and the team would exit Pakistan”.
Mills said on Tuesday: “We have a comprehensive security check process with New Zealand Cricket, and we’ve had that same process in place for a significant number of years now.
“The tour has always been on, but we just completed this process for Pakistan in the past few days like we have done for Bangladesh before that and many tours over the last few years.
“That process was thorough, Reg Dickason’s currently in Pakistan and has completed it, and the tour is at this stage still proceeding as per normal, as a result of that pre-tour check.
The Black Caps’ tour of Pakistan in 2002 was cut short after a bomb exploded outside their hotel in Karachi on the first morning of the second test. They returned to play ODIs the following year, without incident, but have not been back since.
In 2009, six Sri Lankan players were wounded when gunmen attacked their team bus in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and two civilians. No tours took place for six years after that, but Sri Lanka returned to Pakistan for the first time since 2009 last year, while Bangladesh, South Africa, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe have also visited in recent years, and England are set to do so after the Black Caps.
