Sports Desk
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has hinted at “good news” in the coming week, saying the New Zealand cricket board was working on a new schedule to tour Pakistan after it abandoned the series last month citing “security threats”.
The New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for the first time in 18 years to play three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals.
The Kiwis had, however, devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on Sep 17 by opting out of their tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI was to be played. They had cited a ‘security threat’ as the reason without divulging any further information. The tour cancellation was followed by England also deferring their tour.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination on Thursday, Raja said the New Zealand cricket board was “now rescheduling the tour” after being pressured by Pakistan.
However, committee chairman Raza Rabbani suggested the PCB chief to turn down New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan.
“What if we do not allow the New Zealand tour?” asked Rabbani. He advised the PCB not to accept the tour as a sign of protest. Raja, however, replied with a slight discord, saying, “We have to live with them. But we can tell them that Pakistan can find a time window for the tour at some point in 2022.”
He added that if New Zealand were ready to play according to Pakistan’s conditions, “then we should have no problem”.
He also informed the committee that Pakistan’s cricket affairs were managed through 50 per cent funding from the International Cricket Council (ICC), while 90pc of the ICC funding was provided by India.
