Cricket: New Zealand in talks with Pakistan to reschedule cancelled tour

Black Caps during a training session. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand Cricket is back in discussions about reigniting their postponed tour to Pakistan.

NZ Cricket confirmed dialogue is under way between chief executive David White and his interim counterpart, but in essence both parties are open to the Black Caps returning before the end of the current future tours programme cycle in 2023.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja said on Thursday that NZC has been in contact about rescheduling the tour, which was cancelled last month before the first ODI in Rawalpindi due to a security threat.

"Good news will be announced within a week," he was quoted as saying by Geo News. "The PCB may put forward its terms before the NZC by choosing the month of November in 2022 for the rescheduling of the recently postponed series."

New Zealand will apply the same robust security standards which saw last month's tour cancelled at the last minute after NZC received intelligence of a security threat targeting the Black Caps.

The last time the Black Caps played in Pakistan was 18 years ago.

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.

Elsewhere, at this stage the national under-19 team will not travel to the World Cup in the West Indies next year.

There are concerns from the governing body over the availability of MIQ spots and the ethics of placing players who could be as young as 16 in quarantine by themselves.