Eighth Test-playing tour of England by New Zealand
(April - May 2001)
The tour had been due to take place in September and October 2001, but was postponed following the September 11 attacks in New York. Pakistan promised “foolproof” security for the tourists to reschedule the tour and the interior ministry guaranteed the visitors safe exit in the event of a security alert.
Pakistan made a clean sweep in the series of three one-day internationals. During the third match 26-year-old Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar bowled at more than 100 mph, and he destroyed New Zealand in the first Test at Lahore with a six for 11 spell. However, as the teams were about to leave their hotels for the second Test a bomb blast killed 15 people outside their Karachi hotel. The bomber’s target was a navy bus carrying French defence technicians helping build two submarines at the dockyard. None of the tour party was seriously hurt although NZ physiotherapist Dayle Shackel received a minor cut to his forearm from flying glass.
The New Zealanders felt that the Pakistan Government and the PCB had done everything reasonably possible to protect their players during the tour, and none of the cricketers was injured, but it was the last time New Zealand toured Pakistan. Cancelling the remainder of the tour cause financial losses for the Pakistan Board which has already lost nearly £7min potential revenue since September 11.
Sir Richard Hadlee (chairman),Ross Dykes, Brian McKechnie and Denis Aberhart.
Selection
Unavailable:Adam Parore (retired after the home Test series against England); Dion Nash (back and hip injuries - a month later he retired from cricket);Shane Bond (stress fracture of foot);Shayne O’Connor (recovering from knee operation); Chris Drum (announced his retirement at end of the home Test series because he was moving to London); Martin Croy (injured); Chris Cairns (after his knee tendon operation, he then suffered a different knee injury in March, which ended his home season)
Test tour party announced :31 March 2002.
On standby (Tests):Mathew Sinclair, Lance Hamilton (CD), James Franklin and Glen Sulzberger.
The one-day squad for Sharjah and Pakistan was announced on the same date
Daniel Vettori was still recovering from a back injury and not fit for the one-dayers in Sharjah and Pakistan. He was held back for the Tests and selected subject to fitness.
On standby (one-days)Mathew Sinclair, Glen Sulzberger, Matthew Hart
Withdrawal: Lou Vincent (bruising of the chest and airway) was advised not to fly so Sinclair came in for the ODIs.
Time between selection and departure from New Zealand
x days
(31 March to c 3 April)
Travel
?QDubai
DubaiQKarachi
On 5 March New Zealand Cricket confirmed that they were willing to tour Pakistan in April and May.The home Test series with England ended on 3 April.
The New Zealand team travelled to Dubai to play in the Sharjah Cup tri-series arriving on Sunday 7 April. Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan (who had led a depleted New Zealand side in Sharjah in April 2001) arrived later on that evening.The Sharjah matches ended on 17 April 2002.
From Sharjah they travelled to Pakistan.
After they arrived in Karachi on 18 April under heavy guard, New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming and manager Ross Dykes said safety fears in Pakistan would not.affect their team’s performance.
Lou Vincent missed the Sharjah matches and, with Robbie Hart, flew direct to Pakistan, leaving New Zealand on Thursday 18 April.
Time spent in Pakistan
20 days
(18 April - 8 May)
On-tour selection panel
Reinforcements
ADDED ▷Sinclair, Styris, Drum
◁ W/DAstle, Oram, Adams
M S Sinclair
A
26
RHB
ODI
Matthew Sinclair took Lou Vincent’s place in the Sharjah matches after Vincent suffered a rupture in his left airway. Chris Nevin strained his hamstring at practice so Robbie Hart joined the tour a week earlier than intended to reinforce the one-day squad in Pakistan.
After the first one-dayer Nathan Astle was ruled out of the rest of the tour with a suspected torn tendon in his left knee cap.He flew home to be replaced by Matthew Sinclair who flew out again to rejoin the side on Friday 27 April.
Three one-day players (Oram, Styris, and Franklin) were replaced for the Test series by Chris Martin, Daniel Vettori and Mark Richardson.
S B Styris
A
26
RHBRM
ODI
Scott Styris was retained after the one-day series (Jacob Oramwould have been added to the Test team had he not suffered a side strain and returned home early injured).Styris was capped for his Test debut the night before the Karachi Test only for the match to be cancelled
All-rounder Andre Adams returned home after suffering a back stress fracture in the first Test.Leg-spinner Brooke Walker then suffered a dislocated finger in the left hand but he remained on tour.
•During the third ODI Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was clocked at 161 kph, a fraction over 100 mph.
•Lou Vincent (57) and skipper Stephen Fleming (66) made battling half-centuries in the innings defeat at Lahore
•
Tour Summary
P
W
L
D
Aban
Cancelled
§ One-day internationals in Sharjah
4
1
3
0
-
-
Test Matches
1
0
1
0
-
1
Other first-class matches
0
-
-
-
-
-
� Minor matches
0
-
-
-
-
-
§ One-day internationals
3
0
3
0
-
-
All Matches
4
0
4
0
-
1
Return to New Zealand
KarachiQAuckland
Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram returned home injured on 25 April.
Chris Nevin and James Franklin departed after the one-day series on the evening of Monday 30 April.
New Zealand were scheduled to leave on 13 May but the tour was abandoned on Wednesday 8 May.
That evening the team returned from Karachi, making a stopover at Singapore, while the manager Jeff Crowe left on an Emirates flight to Dubai and Frankfurt later. He was accompanied by the ICC officials Mike Procter, Rudi Koertzen Steve Bucknor and team physio Dayle Shackel.
The team landed at Auckland on Friday 10 May, where Fleming gave a press conference.
Time away from New Zealandx days
(depart NZ to 10 May)
Finances
Cancelling the remainder of the tour cause financial losses for the Pakistan Board which has already lost nearly £7min potential revenue since 11 September.
Next tour of Pakistan
The New Zealanders fulfilled a one-day internationalobligation in Lahore/Rawalpindi at the end of their Indian Test tour in 2003 but have not been back to play Test matches in Pakistan.