Reports indicate that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will dispatch a security delegation to Pakistan ahead of their upcoming five-match T20I series in April.
The series between Pakistan and New Zealand is anticipated to take place in Lahore and Rawalpindi, serving as a preparatory phase for the T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and the USA.
According to sources close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the security delegation will include private security expert Reg Dickason and a senior official from the New Zealand Players’ Association, Heath Mills.
Dickason, a regular security consultant for the ICC and various cricket boards during tours to Pakistan in recent years, is expected to be part of the delegation.
“The delegation is due to arrive in early March to assess security arrangements in Lahore and Rawalpindi, the probable venues for the matches,” the source stated.
The security team will conduct thorough inspections of the match venues and team accommodations. Additionally, they will hold meetings with the Pakistani government and security officials to oversee security measures for the New Zealand team.
Notably, New Zealand’s white-ball team returned home from Rawalpindi in September 2021 without playing a match due to security concerns, a decision made by the New Zealand government. However, the team later returned for the Test and ODI series in 2022-23 and participated in the subsequent white-ball series.
This upcoming visit by New Zealand is not part of the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) but rather a reciprocal tour, following Pakistan’s visit to New Zealand for five T20Is earlier this year. Pakistan has been actively hosting international teams during the 2022-23 season, including England and New Zealand twice, along with Australia once.
