Kane Williamson wants more international cricket in Pakistan, says it is a special place for the game

Kane Williamson hopes that New Zealand’s tour cancellation against Pakistan won’t impact cricket in the country. Notably, the Kiwis who were touring Pakistan after 2003, pulled out of the series before the start of the first ODI due to security reasons.

“They were obviously over there, ready to go to the ground. It is a sudden thing that happened. I certainly hope there is no lasting impact from it because it is a special place for cricket to be and there have been a lot of strides forward to see cricket go back into Pakistan and play there safely. We have seen that happen on a number of occasions, so hopefully, there is plenty more cricket there to come,” Williamson said via Sportstar.

Williamson termed the cancellation a “real shame”, while he stated that he is not aware of the exact security inputs given by the New Zealand government. He is currently in the UAE for the second of the IPL 2021.

“I don’t know the details of yesterday. It was a sudden call, but obviously, a real shame. Cricket in Pakistan is an amazing thing and so well supported. There is so much passion there and I think the guys will be gutted to not have started and played the whole series. But I am not sure of the details since I am in Dubai for the IPL. I will find out a bit more about it over the next few days.

He wants more cricket in Pakistan as it is a special place for the sport.

“I certainly hope not. You want to be playing the game in all countries. It is an international game and there is so much passion for it around the world, particularly in Pakistan. It was really exciting to see the series go back there and I know our team was looking forward to it. Players’ safety is paramount and when you hear messages going through from the government, it is certainly above the players’ heads.”