Doubts over Pakistan playing host after New Zealand team leave for home

New Zealand's rescheduled cricket tour of Pakistan ended prematurely when the second and final Test was called off , barely hours before it was scheduled to start here at the National Stadium, after a bomb blast less than 50 metres from the team hotel.

The blast, that killed 14 and injured 22, went off on the road adjacent to the hotel between 7:40am and 7:50am. Both the teams were scheduled to leave for the stadium at 8:00am for opening day's play.

None of the players from the two teams nor the officials were injured. But they were naturally anxious, distracted and horrified with whatever they saw or heard about the gruesome incident.

As the New Zealanders preferred to take `shelter' in open air and spent rest of the morning at the pool side, match referee Mike Procter officially called off the Test at a hastily arranged press conference at 11:30pm.

"In consultation with Brig Munawwar Rana (director of the PCB) and Jeff Crowe (New Zealand team manager) and because of security reason, this Test match has been called off. So the tour is over," Procter said.

The Black Caps left for Singapore on their way to Christchurch by Singapore Airlines flight No SQ418 that took off at 7.25pm Wednesday evening. The match officials - Procter, Rudi Koertzen (both South Africans) and Steve Bucknor (West Indian) - also departed for Johannesburg and London respectively via Dubai on the same evening by Emirates flight No EK610 that flew 10.30pm.

The New Zealanders were escorted to the airport with heavy security that was considerably strengthened after the blast. There were no less than 50 gun-totting commandos occupying a dozen or so police vans and motorcycles.

It was the worst incident in the history of Pakistan sports that led to the cancellation of a foreign team's official tour.

In 1984, India returned home after the assassination of their Prime Minister Indra Gandhi in New Delhi. The second One-day International, which was in progress at Sialkot was immediately abandoned along with the remaining part of the tour. But New Zealand's decision to abort the tour is not the only thing that is worrying the PCB. The dilemma now facing the PCB is that future events in the country are now in serious jeopardy.

Pakistan are to host New Zealand and Australia for a tri-nation one-day series between Aug 27 and Sept 7 and then are scheduled to take on Australia in a three-Test home series between Oct 1 and 24.

"We have hardly recovered from this morning's shock and haven't really thought what would happen in days to come. But I agree that security issues and foreign team's future visits to Pakistan will surface," Munawwar said.

In a broad setback, the Pakistan government and PCB's assurances and guarantees to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Test world about players security, were also proven wrong.

"I feel let down and low after today's incidents. I had made big claims on the ICC platform that Pakistan was as safe as any country for cricket. But today, I feel sad, depressed and upset," Munawwar said, adding: "I want to express my deepest regrets to New Zealand for the unfortunate incident."

The PCB spokesman further said that it would now require greater effort to convince the world to change their views on players security in Pakistan.

Munawwar said the PCB did whatever it could for the smooth running of the tour. "But we are now the victim of circumstances."

Procter, Crowe and NZC's security manager Reg Dickson endorsed the PCB official's statement. "It has been an excellent tour until today. We got the security that was promised and we have no complaints against the Pakistan board," they said.

Crowe said it was a devastating blow "because both the PCB and NZC had tried their best to make the tour happen." But he rejected claims that he had proposed to the PCB during the Lahore Test to shift the second Test to either Faisalabad or reschedule it in the Punjab metropolis. He also said the decision to cancel the tour was taken by the NZC and none of the players was consulted.

"For NZC, players' security is paramount and that was conveyed to the PCB who understood our position," Crowe said, adding: "We feel sorry for the PCB who did their best and provided us the best hospitality."