Few New Zealand players received death threats before Pakistan tour, reveals NZCPA chief Heath Mills

New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) has revealed that few Kiwi players received death threats weeks before their departure for Pakistan. The NZCPA chief executive Heath Mills said the threats were given via social media platforms but were not taken seriously. Notably, the New Zealand tour of Pakistan, where the teams were set to clash in three ODIs and five T20Is, was cancelled after New Zealand unilaterally abandoned the tour due to security concerns.

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The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) authorities revealed they were alerted by security agencies of a possible attack outside the stadium. New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden also backed the decision and said they won’t compromise on the security of the players, despite Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s assurance of foolproof security.

"A couple of players received death threats a few weeks prior to the tour. It was unusual but they got the threats on social media and through other means. Our experts took some time checking them and concluded that they were not serious in nature," Mills told Cricbuzz on Sunday.

The decision to call off the tour moments before the start has left Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fuming. It's a big setback to Pakistan who are trying to bring cricket back to the country. The PCB said they’ll be taking this matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Mills, however, is not concerned and said their decision to pull out of the series was justified.

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"I don't think we have overreacted. What we can say we were very impressed with the security in Pakistan. It was safe at the ground, hotel and also during transit to the airport. But we could not have remained there," the NZCPA boss said.

"Obviously, it has not been an easy time for the players and their families and it is a relief to everyone knowing that they are now safe. We recognise and understand that the decision to leave their country is extremely disappointing for the people of Pakistan. However, player safety has to be our number one priority and we completely support the decision that has been made by New Zealand Cricket (NZC)," the NZCPA said in a statement.

"We have complete confidence in the security check processes we follow with NZC prior to going on any tour and remain comfortable with the decision to go -- our players were really looking forward to playing in Pakistan for the first time. However, the security checking doesn't stop on arrival and the continued risk assessments had determined that the situation for our team had changed last Friday and that a decision needed to be made to leave."

Security agencies from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and US alerted the New Zealand government after which the series was cancelled. Meanwhile, the development has also got England and Australia’s tour of Pakistan in jeopardy.