Days after the New Zealand cricket team abandoned the T20-ODI series against Pakistan at the last minute, citing a high-level security threat, the West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle lit the Internet on fire with his tweet “I’m going to Pakistan tomorrow.”
I’m going to Pakistan tomorrow, who coming with me? 😉🙌🏿
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) September 18, 2021
The cricketer’s statement soon became the top trend on Twitter in Pakistan with a huge number of fans on Twitter lauding him for standing behind the country in its time of need.
The 41-year-old allrounder announced he was flying to Pakistan, also inviting others to accompany him to the cricket-crazy country.
“I’m going to Pakistan tomorrow, who coming with me?” Chris Gayle tweeted. The Pakistan Cricket Board retweeted his tweet.
Several Pakistani cricket fans expressed delight and hailed Gayle’s statement.
Pakistani left-arm pacer Muhammed Amir also welcomed the Jamaican cricketer in Pakistan. “See u there, legend,” Amir had tweeted.
I’m going to Pakistan tomorrow, who coming with me? 😉🙌🏿
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) September 18, 2021
Amir criticised New Zealand for abandoning the most-awaited Pakistan tour, saying the decision will “bite you [New Zealand] in future”.
“[Hi New Zealand] might we as a Pakistani will forgive [you] because we are a loving nation but this act will bite [you] in future for sure,” he said on the microblogging website.
On Friday, moments before the ODI series opener at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board 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 in a statement said the NZC informed them that they had decided to cancel the series due to security concerns, adding that it was their unilateral decision.
Earlier, former Pakistani cricketer and commentator Shoaib Akhtar on Friday slammed New Zealand for abandoning their tour of Pakistan despite Pakistanis support to them in their worst.
Taking to Twitter, Akhtar, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in history of international cricket, wrote: “NZ just killed Pakistan cricket.”
He went on to add: “Following points for New Zealand to remember: 9 Pakistanis were killed in the Christchurch attack. Pakistan stood strong with New Zealand. Pakistan toured New Zealand in the worst of Covid circumstances regardless of the crude treatment by NZ authorities on that tour.
“This was just an unverified threat, it could have been discussed. Prime Minister Imran Khan personally spoke to his NZ counterpart and assured but it was still refused. Pakistan has safely hosted South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe & PSL.”
On the same day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern before the New Zealand team announced that they are abandoning their tour of Pakistan.
Imran Khan assured Ardern that Pakistan has one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team but New Zealand Cricket (NZC) still decided to return home after the NZ government security alert.
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