Don’t blame players for NZ’s tour cancellation: McClenaghan responds to Hafeez’s trolling

Pacer Mitchell McClenaghan doesn’t think Pakistan’s cricket players and their fans should be criticising the New Zealand players for cancellation of the tour between the two countries.

In a post on Twitter, which has now been deleted, the Kiwi speedster responded to veteran Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez after Hafeez criticised New Zealand’s cricketing authorities on Saturday as the Kiwis flew out of Pakistan, citing a “security alert”.

In a sarcastic tweet, the veteran Pakistani all-rounder thanked Pakistan’s security forces for ensuring the Kiwis reached the airport “safe and sound”.

“Thanks to the security of the Pakistan forces [who made] arrangements [for] @BLACKCAPS to reach [the] airport safe and sound. Wonder same route and same security, but no threat today???” he tweeted, sharing a picture of the New Zealand cricket team and staff at the Islamabad airport, heading out of the country

The 35-year-old McClenaghan said that the onus of the tour cancellation was on the New Zealand government and not NZC and players.

Come now bro. This has a bad taste to it… Don’t blame the players or the organisation… blame our government,” he said in his now deleted tweet.

“They have only acted on the advice they have received. I’m absolutely certain these young men – all wanting to prove themselves wanted to play. they had no choice,” he added.

Moments before the ODI series opener at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board on Friday backed out of the much-awaited tour, citing a security alert from their government. The Pakistani authorities assured the team of complete security, but they insisted on calling off the series.

The PCB had said that New Zealand Cricket’s decision to pull their players from the series was a “unilateral” decision taken by the Kiwis without consulting the PCB.