PAK vs NZ 2023: Islamabad Police refute media reports, promise to provide complete security to Kiwi team

Amid earlier reports claiming that Islamabad Police has denied providing security to the travelling New Zealand team for their upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan, the concerned department refuted those claims by promising to abide by their duties in a tweet posted on Sunday. ICTP claim to provide fool-proof, world-class security to the Kiwi side, who will depart for Pakistan on April 9th for five-match T20Is, and ODI series.

Like how they provided the highest level of security to the England team during their visit to the country last year, the Islamabad Police would continue doing that during this series.

Meanwhile, as per a report in the Geo News earlier in Pakistan, the Islamabad Police refused to provide security, citing reasons that they don’t have resources for the same.

"The police does not have resources for providing security," the sources in the Police department told Geo News.

The sources further claimed that the police force is busy performing duties at free flour distribution centres, ongoing census, and other places that are related to the holy month of Ramadan.

While off the ten slated matches, five T20Is and as many ODIs, three of them – including two T20Is and one ODI will be played at the Pindi stadium; the touring New Zealand team will stay at a hotel in the capital city and will travel to Pindi for those games.

Following the two-match Test series against New Zealand in December-January early this year, the white-ball leg is about to begin in Lahore on April 14th. With the first three T20I games to take place in Lahore, the action will move to Rawalpindi for the next three matches before the final four games take place at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Given the senior Kiwi players have opted out of the tour owing to their participation in the Indian Premier League, New Zealand will be sending a relatively younger squad on this tour. Experienced campaigner Tom Latham will lead the side in Kane Williamson’s absence, who while playing in Gujarat Titans' first match against CSK injured his leg, and is now ruled out for an indefinite time.

Here's New Zealand tour of Pakistan 2023 schedule –

14 April - 1st T20I, Lahore
15 April – 2nd T20I, Lahore
17 April – 3rd T20I, Lahore
20 April – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
24 April – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
26 April – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
30 April – 2nd ODI, Karachi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi