New Zealand unlikely to host full Pakistan series

Wellington:

New Zealand is unlikely to host a full cricket series against Pakistan at the end of the year to replace a scheduled tour of the country, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said on Monday.

However, it would be keen to host a Test series in December, with one-day matches being rescheduled to another time, Vaughan told the New Zealand Press Association.

New Zealand does not want to go ahead with the planned tour to Pakistan in November and December after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore early last month, which killed eight Pakistanis and injured seven members of the touring squad.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said on Sunday after meeting Vaughan in Dubai that New Zealand was offering to host the series.

"We have discussed the series but have yet to reach a final decision on it," Butt said.

"At the moment New Zealand are averse to touring Pakistan. So among the options available, the best is to play in New Zealand."

Vaughan said likely weather problems in November would mean it would be difficult to host a full tour of three Tests and five One-Day Internationals.

New Zealand would ideally host the Tests in December, ahead of Pakistan's Test series in Australia.

While Vaughan said the one-day matches could be played in the United Arab Emirates in November, he added that the one-dayers and Test matches did not necessarily have to be played together.

"Pakistan and New Zealand both have relatively uncluttered schedules over the next year or two, so the one-dayers could be deferred until a later stage, if that was necessary to play it in the ideal venue," he said.