NZC denies Pakistan aid match

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has denied reports it offered to play a charity match in Pakistan to raise funds for victims of the country’s floods.

An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said the New Zealand team had offered to help the flood victims and may be touring Pakistan to play exhibition matches, with the funds raised going to the affected.

But although NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said he had contacted the PCB saying cricket as a whole should be a part of the relief effort, he said playing in Pakistan was not an option due to security fears.

Vaughan said: “At no point did we offer that the Black Caps would be touring as they certainly won’t be playing there this year.

“It would be nice to think that in a cricket-loving country such as Pakistan that cricket could play a part in alleviating some of the suffering that is going on there.

“But at this point in time there is no way anyone can consider putting a cricket team into Pakistan to play.

“If anything, the security risk will be greater now than at any other time so I don’t see the Black Caps going to Pakistan in the short term.

“But if there are ways to help the people of Pakistan, the cricketing community should be doing everything to help.”