Pak vs NZ ICC WC warm-up match in Hyderabad to be played behind closed doors

Pakistan and New Zealand ICC World Cup warm-up match will played behind closed doors over “security concerns” in Hyderabad, India.

Indian media reported on Tuesday that the decision comes after the Hyderabad city police — citing two major religious festivals, Ganesh Visarjan and Eid Milad-un-Nabi in the city — expressed their inability to provide adequate security for the warm-up match between the Green Shirts and the Kiwis scheduled to be held on September 29.

According to an official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), “The processions will go on late into the night and the local police would not be able to provide adequate security for a match of this scale. There will continue to be full security for both the teams during their stay and transit to the stadium.”

The BCCI, in collaboration with the hosting association and ticketing partners, will arrange for ticket refunds for the affected spectators.

Pakistan cricket team is expected to arrive in Hyderabad, India via Dubai on September 27.

The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had earlier requested a change in the schedule for back-to-back matches scheduled for October 9 and 10, involving New Zealand-Netherlands and Pakistan-Sri Lanka, respectively, in the city due to security concerns raised by local police.

It must be noted that the Green Team is set to play a total of eleven matches in the World Cup, with four of them, including two warm-up matches and two group games, scheduled to be played in Hyderabad.