Cricket: Teams returning home for safety

New Zealand Cricket yesterday took the unprecedented step of recalling the national team from their planned tour of Pakistan.

Faced with a deteriorating international situation, NZC evidently decided Pakistan was not a prudent option for the one-day squad, who have been holed up in Singapore since Tuesday.

NZC also called a premature end to the New Zealand A side's tour of India.

Both squads were being rushed home last night, although NZC chief executive Martin Snedden said it was still possible that an abbreviated tour of Pakistan could take place.

"We have advised the Pakistan Cricket Board of our decision and we will revisit the possibility of some cricket in October, should we be satisfied the situation has stabilised," Snedden said.

"The safety of the players is our only consideration, and given the advice we've received from the Department of Foreign Affairs, it is obvious that we should bring them home."

While the ODI squad left Singapore at 8 pm yesterday and are due to arrive in Christchurch at 10.50 am today, the NZ A side flew out of Hyderabad last night bound for Mumbai and Singapore.

They are scheduled to arrive home tomorrow morning.

New Zealand were due to play three limited-overs games and three tests, the first in Peshawar, on the border with Afghanistan.

"As soon as it became obvious that the risks were tangible rather than imagined, it was an easy decision to come home," Snedden said.

The only similar move involving New Zealand cricket teams occurred in Sri Lanka nine years ago, when five players and coach Warren Lees walked out of the tour following a suicide bomb attack near the team's hotel.

On that occasion, however, NZC opted to replace the players and continue with the tour.

Former test allrounder Dipak Patel, one of the five to return, said yesterday that he fully supported NZC's decision regarding Pakistan, but could not understand why they waited 48 hours before opting to bring the squad home.

"I'm surprised NZC waited as long as they did," Patel said.

"No one can possibly know what's going to happen next, and in those circumstances you have no choice but to bring the team home.

"For the partners, wives and families of the players, this decision means they won't be left sitting on the edge of their seats for the next six weeks, scared stiff.

"That's something that no one should be put through in the name of sport, and they must be all relieved that the team's coming home."

Snedden said there was not as much danger surrounding the NZ A side in India, but believed it was better to be safe than sorry.

"We are perhaps being over-cautious in respect of the A team and acknowledge that India has not been implicated as an at-risk country.

"However, we don't want to risk the possibility of the team being caught up in anything that might eventuate.

"It's been a difficult time for the families."

The next commitment for the New Zealand team will be the test series against Australia in November.

Pakistani cricket chiefs expressed deep disappointment.

"International events are beyond our reach, we can't help it," Pakistan Cricket Board director Brigadier Munawwar Rana said.

"We hope that once the situation clears, we can manage to host New Zealand for a short tour."