The Daily Mail had reported New Zealand Cricket team pulled out due to AUKUS manure
-NZherald confirms AUKUS’s intelligence wing ‘Five Eyes’ plotted the so-called threats
-NZC Chief David White says everything changed on Friday as already reported by The Daily Mail
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
The Global Media reports and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday have confirmed The Daily Mail’s investigative report published on Saturday about the call off tour of the New Zealand Cricket team due to so-called threats, according to the Daily Mail’s investigation, plotted by AUKUS’s intelligence wing ‘Five Eyes’.As per reported by The Daily Mail, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said on Sunday that the New Zealand tour of Pakistan was abandoned after the New Zealand government received an alert from the “Five Eyes” intelligence group about a “direct and imminent” threat to its team.The Black Caps devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on Friday after opting out of their tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI was to be played. They had cited a “security threat” as the reason without divulging any further.
by PCB CEO
In a virtual call with reporters, Khan said New Zealand had set a “very wrong example” by unilaterally ending the tour. He said the last 48 hours had been very difficult for Pakistan cricket and he wanted to bring some facts to light.Meanwhile on Sunday The New Zealand based English Newspaper NZ Herald also confirmed The Daily Mail report as the paper said “the intelligence came from Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance of New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States and United Kingdom. The threat was deemed credible before the match, and led to phone calls between NZC and their counterparts at the Pakistan Cricket Board, and Pakistan and New Zealand Prime Ministers Imran Khan and Jacinda Ardern”.In the same approach to authenticate The Daily Mail’s investigation, NZC Chief Executive David White on Sunday admitted that the board was initially satisfied with security arrangements in Pakistan which is why they sent their team to the country.A statement released by NZC quotes White as saying that “everything changed” on Friday.”The advice changed, the threat level changed and, as a consequence, we took the only responsible course of action possible,” he said.White said that it was unfortunate that the series was abandoned at the last minute, adding that there was no way that it could be held after the intelligence of a potential attack was received.”What I can say is that we were advised this was a specific and credible threat against the team,” White said.
published on Sunday
White said some information had been shared with the Pakistan Cricket Board, however, “specific details could not, and will not, be disclosed – privately or publicly”, New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said.
“We had several conversations with New Zealand government officials before making the decision and it was after informing the PCB of our position that we understand a telephone discussion was conducted between the respective prime ministers,” he added.He acknowledged that it was a “terribly difficult time” for Pakistan cricket but reiterated that New Zealand had no other option.In is media talks on Sunday, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said – on Friday morning at 3am – he received a call from ESI head of security Reg Dickinson — the security consultant for New Zealand, who said that “a report had landed on the New Zealand government’s desk through their government security agencies stating that there was a threat on the New Zealand team, and that threat was direct and imminent on that particular day”.
David White
Khan revealed that he then arrived in Lahore and met Dickinson to seek more clarification. “He stated that information had emanated from that circle (Five Eyes) and reached the deputy prime minister’s office of New Zealand, and that it was serious and it was something that we needed to try and address immediately,” the PCB chief executive added.
The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Khan said New Zealand refused to provide any details or inform the Pakistani security agencies about the threat, despite being asked for the same.
“When we contacted our security agencies, they clarified that there was no security threat to the visiting team,” he added.
Regretting the Kiwis’ decision, the PCB CEO said “you have to trust the security agencies of the country that you are touring.”
“While harming the relations between the two boards, the decision will have far-reaching consequences,” he said, noting that New Zealand’s players and security officials had expressed confidence over Pakistan’s security arrangements.
“Our players spent the most difficult 14 days in quarantine in New Zealand [and] travelled there despite the Christchurch mosque attack. But it is clear to everyone that decisions are not being taken on the basis of equality.”
Khan said Pakistani authorities had made immense efforts to restore international cricket in the country during the last five years, announcing that he and the PCB chairman would raise the matter of New Zealand abandoning the tour in the International Cricket Council.
He revealed that the PCB had contacted the Bangladesh and Sri Lankan cricket boards in the last 24 hours, offering them to arrive in Pakistan to play a bilateral series utilising the arrangements made for the New Zealand series.
While both boards were willing to undertake the visit, Khan said, it was not possible to accomplish due to “a lack of time and logistical issues”.
Khan emphasised that reputation was a bigger concern for Pakistan than financial losses. “It is sad that our reputation has been harmed through this unilateral decision,” he said.
He added that New Zealand officials should have instead held talks with Pakistan in order to come up with a joint decision.
