New Zealand has declined an offer to return to play T20 cricket in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued an invitation in April for New Zealand to play two Twenty20 matches in their country as part of a bigger series, most of which will take place in the United Arab Emirates between October and December. The series will comprise three-Test matches, three One-Day Internationals, and three T20s, and all of those matches will now be played in the UAE.

Replying to the invitation from PCB, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chairman Greg Barclay said, “We were open-minded and went through all the information. It was an extensive due diligence exercise: government advisory, (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), ICC, independent security consultants, and those were peer-reviewed back here as well.”

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He further added, “We just came to the decision that given the current circumstances, it just wasn’t right for us to accept the invitation to play in Pakistan. We’re very sympathetic to the plight they find themselves in. We’re a member of the ICC. We’re very aware that the ICC is trying to facilitate more international cricket in Pakistan and we’re very supportive of that.”

New Zealand last toured Pakistan in December 2003. A tour 18 months earlier was cut short by a bomb blast outside the touring team’s Karachi hotel on the morning the second test was due to begin.

In recent times, most of the international teams have routinely refused to tour Pakistan since Sri Lanka’s team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009. Pakistan has since played home games in the UAE, a decision the PCB’s chief executive estimates have cost $140 million in stadium hire and accommodation. However, in April, the West Indian squad visited Pakistan for a three-match T20 international series.