PCB says New Zealand has not communicated any reservations over touring Pakistan

KARACHI:  The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Thursday that New Zealand Cricket has not communicated any reservations over touring Pakistan. 

The cricket board was preparing at full steam   for the Pak vs NZ series scheduled for next month, said the PCB spokesperson.

Like always, the NZ players and team officials will be provided with usual security  protocol under the status of state guests given to them during their visit, he added.

Earlier, the New Zealand media had reported that the team’s tour to Pakistan was subject to a security reassessment as the players had expressed concerns.

The media report had quoted the New Zealand Press Association Chief Heath Mills as saying that whatever is happening in Afghanistan is sad and people, including the NZ players, were asking questions about the security check processes.

The report also suggested that the security consultant, Reg Dickason, would visit Pakistan later this month to review the security situation there.

The PCB has stuck to the stance that the tour has been scheduled and it has nothing to do with the regional development.

According to PCB, Dikason’s visit in August was planned long ago and it isn’t related to the change in the political landscape in Afghanistan.

Dickason is a consultant to the England Cricket Board (ECB) too therefore he will give feedback to them as well regarding England’s men and women teams’ tours to Pakistan, scheduled for October, said the PCB’s spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail of England reported that ECB would also review the security situation in Pakistan for the autumn white-ball tour for England's men's and women's cricket teams.

Conversely, an ECB spokesperson said that there are always going to be security checks and procedures