A day after New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan, veteran cricketer Mohammad Hafeez took to social media to take a dig at the Blackcaps contingent who left Islamabad on a charter flight on Saturday night. The visitors called off the series in Pakistan abruptly on Friday, just before the first ODI in Rawalpindi over after a "government security alert". The sudden move sparked anger among many current and former Pakistan players. Hafeez took to Twitter with a photo of the departing New Zealand team and wrote: "Thanks to the security of pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach at airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today???"
The New Zealand cricket team arrived in Dubai early Sunday after leaving Pakistan but officials refused to give details of the security threat that forced them to abruptly cancel their tour.
While some information had been shared with the Pakistan Cricket Board, "specific details could not, and will not, be disclosed – privately or publicly", New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said.
Hafeez was part of the T20I team, which would have faced the visiting team.
New Zealand had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for a white-ball series after 18 years, and were set to play three ODIs and five T20Is.
The Tom Latham-led side also had a few training sessions in Pakistan under tight security. “…following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the BLACKCAPS will not continue with the tour,” New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja had also expressed his disappointment on Twitter. He wrote, "Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players. Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it's not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC".