Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and his New Zealand counterpart Tom Latham before the now cancelled series. Photo / AP
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and his New Zealand counterpart Tom Latham before the now cancelled series. Photo / AP
The Black Caps have arrived in Auckland following their cancelled tour in Pakistan due to a security threat.
The 24-strong touring squad touched down in Auckland from Dubai today and will soon enter the mandatory 14 days in MIQ.
The rest of touring party will remain in the UAE and join up with the Black Caps T20 World Cup squad, with their first match on October 27.
The 24 strong BLACKCAPS touring squad have arrived home into Auckland from Dubai and will shortly begin the mandatory 14 days in MIQ. pic.twitter.com/VVa86O698g
Last week, New Zealand Cricket made the call to cancel the team's tour of Pakistan just minutes before the first ODI in Rawalpindi on Friday night after receiving intelligence of a security threat targeting the Black Caps.
The Black Caps then left to Dubai on a charter flight after "a specific and credible threat" towards the team.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White wouldn't go into any more details on the threat but said he hadn't heard reports of a received bomb threat to the team's hotel and flights.
White said he was grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for helping organise the safe departure of the New Zealand team and would work through any possible compensation over the next few weeks and months.
"We appreciate this has been a terribly difficult time for the PCB and wish to pass on our sincere thanks to chief executive Wasim Khan and his team for their professionalism and care."
Pakistan paramilitary troops and police officer stand guard outside the Pindi Cricket Stadium after the cancellation of the New Zealand tour. Photo / AP
White said NZC and the Black Caps had been very much looking forward to the Pakistan series but were faced with no option but to abandon the tour after receiving, on Friday, advice from the New Zealand government of a specific, credible threat.
This advice was supported by NZC's security consultants – who were on the ground in Pakistan, and by other independent sources.
While the general tenor of the threat was immediately shared with the PCB, White reiterated that specific details could not, and will not, be disclosed – privately or publicly.
"What I can say is that we were advised this was a specific and credible threat against the team.
"We had several conversations with New Zealand government officials before making the decision and it was after informing the PCB of our position that we understand a telephone discussion was conducted between the respective Prime Ministers.
"Unfortunately, given the advice we'd received, there was no way we could stay in the country."
White added that a number of players received email threats on the eve of the tour but after investigation, they were considered to be hoaxes.
White said NZC remained comfortable with its initial decision to tour Pakistan, based on comprehensive assessments of the security situation, and the risk mitigation measures promised.
"Everything changed on Friday," he said. "The advice changed, the threat level changed and, as a consequence, we took the only responsible course of action possible."
The Black Caps at a training session last week in Pakistan. Photo / AP
White said it's too early to discuss the status of future tours to Pakistan.
"The future tours programme is pretty tight but we'll have to look at it and work through that.
"For every tour we go on we go, whether it's Pakistan, England or wherever we go through a very thorough process covering security and this was no exception. In fact, probably more in this case.
"We will access every tour on its merits.
"I'm comfortable with the decision we made. We went through thorough security checks and was assured of a very high level of security that was to be provided."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also would not elaborate on the threats, but said today they were described as "credible" and "direct and targeted".
"We do support the decision that was ultimately made by NZ Cricket to bring the team home."
"It was a direct threat and it was a credible threat - they made the right decision," Ardern added.
CEO of the NZ Cricket Players' Association Heath Mills said they were happy with the security measures in Pakistan but ultimately player safety has to be the number one priority.
"We have very comprehensive security measures in place with New Zealand Cricket prior going on any tour and they don't stop once the team gets to the country, they continue every day with daily risk assessments. It's not unusual to get threats from time to time and work through the appropriate channels to see if it is credible or not. This one was very quickly determined to be credible and specific to the tour so the decision had to be made to leave and we fully support that," Mills told Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine.
"The threat was specific and credible to the tour of Pakistan. When that happens and you get that confirmation you really have no choice but for the team to leave.
"It's been very disappointing for the Pakistan people and we feel for the Pakistan government and Pakistan Cricket. They have been superb. The level of resources around the team have been phenomenal. We've been very comfortable that they would be safe once we confirmed the threat on Friday. The security resources at the ground, the hotel and the airport transit have been unbelievable. They've put a lot of work into this tour so we really feel for them but ultimately player safety has to be the number one priority."
The Black Caps' next matches are set to be at the Twenty20 World Cup, which begins in the United Arab Emirates at the end of October. Their first opponent will be Pakistan.
