New Zealand Cricket to send security delegation to Pakistan before T20I tour

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is leaving no stone unturned in their quest to ensure the safety of their players as the Kiwis are scheduled to tour Pakistan in April to play a five-match T20I series.

According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is holding discussions with NZC to finalise the dates and venues of the series. The window would be from April 13 to 24, meaning that it would coincide with some of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

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Ahead of the tour, NZC has decided to send a security delegation to Pakistan to get an idea about the safety measures that will be undertaken by the PCB to ensure a smooth running of the series.

According to a report in the Times of India, a reliable source has confirmed that the delegation will comprise private security expert Reg Dickason, along with Health Milly, a senior NZ Players Association official.

Dickason has experience working with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and various cricket boards during big-ticket tours to Pakistan in the last few years.

"The delegation is due in early March to visit Lahore and Rawalpindi where the matches will probably be held," the source said.

The delegation will be examining the match venues, and team hotels, and engage in meetings with government and security officials to review and enhance security arrangements for the Blackcaps. This security evaluation is going to be conducted in the hope of avoiding the incidents of 2021 when New Zealand's white-ball squad returned home from Rawalpindi in September without playing a scheduled match due to security concerns.

However, New Zealand have been to Pakistan on a couple of occasions since then. In the 2022-2023 season, the Kiwis visited Pakistan to play a Test and an ODI series. Last year, during the IPL, New Zealand travelled to the Asian nation to play five T20Is and as many ODIs.

Last month, Pakistan visited New Zealand to play a five-match T20I series, which the hosts won by a 4-1 margin. The upcoming T20I series in Pakistan will give both teams a chance to make some last-minute preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

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