In a shocking development, New Zealand cricket team cancels Pakistan’s tour
Shares
RAWALPINDI – In a surprise development, the New Zealand cricket team Friday cancelled its tour of Pakistan.
The development took place a few minutes after it was reported that the first ODI match between Pakistan and New Zealand was cancelled due to coronavirus.
An official version of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is released on twitter. The cricket ground remains empty, with no ground support staff or broadcast crew available present.
Earlier, sports journalist Alia Rasheed, citing sources, said three Pakistani players have tested positive for coronavirus due to which the match has been cancelled.
However, she said until the PCB releases an official version, people should not jump to conclusions.
The tourists visited Pakistani after the gap of 18 years. The two sides last faced off in 2019 during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in Birmingham where Babar Azam guided his side to a six-wicket victory with a heroic century.
Pakistan, currently ranked sixth in the ICC ODI rankings, have a chance to climb one spot up, provided they beat the visitors 3-0 in the ODI series. The two teams will retain their pre-series rankings in case Pakistan fail to achieve the desired result.
New Zealand, the top-ranked ODI team in the ICC Rankings and the 2019 World Cup finalists, will take to the stadium today with the confidence of a 3-0 sweep against Bangladesh in March. The Kiwis will be looking to continue their winning streak.
