Pakistan cricket greats have come down hard on New Zealand, after the decision to cancel the Blackcaps' first tour of the nation in 18 years.
Before the first of three one-day internationals at Rawalpindi, the NZ Government issued a security alert and NZ Cricket confirmed the tour had been cancelled.
The tour was supposed to be New Zealand's first of Pakistan since 2003.
The cancellation is a blow for Pakistan cricket in Pakistan, which went 10 years from 2009-19 without hosting any test matches.
In 2009, Sri Lanka's team were fired on by 12 gunmen in Lahore, leading to the deaths of six Pakistani police officers and two civilians. Six members of the Sri Lankan side were also injured in the attack.
Two of Pakistan cricket's most recognisable faces have taken to social media to express their disdain at the decision, which could have serious ramifications over the future of the international game in the country.
"NZ just killed Pakistan cricket," former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar tweets.
"Pakistan toured New Zealand in the worst of COVID circumstances regardless of the crude treatment by NZ authorities on that tour."
Meanwhile, former captain Shahid Afridi has taken things even further, undermining the threat alert issued by the NZ Government, calling it a "hoax".
"On a HOAX threat you have called-off the tour despite all assurances!!" Afridi writes. "BLACKCAPS do you understand the IMPACT of your decision?"
Afridi represented Pakistan more than 500 times across all international formats and was man-of-the-match in the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup final.
New Zealand's cancellation could have further impacts on Pakistan, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) now considering its upcoming tour. New Zealand and England use the same security consultants.
England are scheduled to visit Pakistan for the first time in 16 years for two Twenty20 matches at the same Rawalpindi venue next month.
"We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation," an ECB spokesperson says.
