Shoaib Akhtar and Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Ramiz Raja have reacted to the news of New Zealand cancelling the tour to Pakistan due to an “elevated” security threat alert given to the team by the government.
Shoaib Akhtar, who used to be a fearsome pace bowler in his prime and is now a Youtuber with more than a million subscribers, went to Twitter to post his anger over this news. He said that NZ had just killed cricket in Pakistan. He posted a series of tweets where he went on to add the points that New Zealand has to remember: Nine Pakistanis were killed in the Christchurch attack and Pakistan stood strongly with them. Pakistan toured New Zealand, when COVID-19 was at its worst, regardless of the bad treatment meted out by NZ officials on that tour. He added that it was an unverified threat and could have been discussed. He also repeated facts presented by the PCB which said that Prime Minister Imran Khan personally spoke to his NZ counterpart and assured but it was still refused. He ended by saying that South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe safely toured Pakistan with no problems.
NZ just killed Pakistan cricket 😡😡
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) September 17, 2021
Newly-appointed PCB chief Ramiz Raja also took to Twitter saying that it has been a crazy day and he felt sorry for the fans and the players. Raja felt that a unilateral attitude towards a security threat was very frustrating when it’s not shared. He ended by saying that he will take it to the ICC.
° This was just an unverified threat, it could have been discussed.
° Prime Minister Imran Khan personally spoke to his NZ counterpart and assured but it was still refused.
° Pakistan has safely hosted South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe & PSL.
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) September 17, 2021
PCB has also said in their official statement that they were disappointed with the outcome and despite assurances, NZ backed out at the last minute. New Zealand Cricket, earlier said that due to an elevated security threat assessed by the government and the security detail on the ground, they will have to suspend the tour and have asked the players to go home.
Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players. Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it’s not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC.
— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) September 17, 2021
