New Zealand were scheduled to lock horns with Pakistan in three ODIs and five T20Is in the Asian nation. But the tour got abandoned on the afternoon of the first game due to a security threat on the visitors as cited by their government.
Chronicling the events, Latham said the touring party was informed about the abandonment of the tour on match-day when they were summoned for an ad-hoc meeting. In an interview with New Zealand Cricket, Latham said:
Latham also thanked the Pakistani authorities for keeping the tourists safe in their hotels before the visiting contingent departed the country.
The New Zealand contingent spent the next 24 hours in Islamabad before they were flown to Dubai. Latham said that while the players were in good spirits, they stayed united as a group during their stay in Pakistan. Latham added in this regard:
New Zealand’s decision to abandon their tour of Pakistan has had cascading effects. The ECB followed suit and cancelled their men and women’s tour of the Asian country.
“It was a historic moment as well for New Zealand Cricket to be back there” - Tom Latham
The decision to abandon the tour hasn’t gone down well with Pakistan fans and their current and former players.
Latham acknowledged that a last-minute pull-out would have been very disappointing for everyone involved in Pakistan. He admitted he would have loved to have been a part of the series, saying:
Meanwhile, NZC chief David White has said the board would work in unison with the PCB to find a window for the abandoned series. But it remains to be seen whether New Zealand will return to Pakistan or the series is played at a neutral venue.
0 votes
