PCB approached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for short series after New Zealand's withdrawal

Stunned by New Zealand’s sudden withdrawal from the Pakistan tour, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) approached Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for a short series but things couldn’t work out as the teams had prior commitments.

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PCB CEO Wasim Khan said both boards showed keen interest in travelling to Pakistan but there was not enough time to arrange a series as the T20 World Cup is not far away.

"Our Chairman spoke to them and explored the possibility of a short tours and they were very receptive but they pointed out it was very difficult for them to change their already confirmed plans and also some of their players were dispersed," Wasim Khan said.

"They showed a strong willingness but because of the short time frame it was not possible for them to put in place a tour as they had prior plans for the World Cup," he said.

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Notably, New Zealand called off the Pakistan tour hours before the start of the 1st ODI due to security concerns. Post New Zealand’s sudden withdrawal, many fans called for New Zealand’s boycott in the T20 World Cup. Both New Zealand and Pakistan are placed in the same group alongside India, Afghanistan and two teams from the qualifiers.

However, Wasim ruled out the possibility of the same. He though said that New Zealand treated Pakistan with disrespect by unilaterally abandoning the tour. Pakistan will be taking this matter to the International Cricket Council.

"Since it is a bilateral series there is little hope of getting any compensation from NZ cricket unless we go to a dispute resolution committee.

"What we can do is ensure at the ICC board level that such things don't happen again. We are going to have a full dialogue and discussion with them about the processes in place for such situations," he said