ABU DHABI // A day after 132 children and nine teachers were killed in a terror attack on a school in the northern Pakistan city of Peshawar, the Pakistan national cricket team will go ahead with a scheduled one-day international (ODI) versus New Zealand at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
In a media release, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said: “While expressing its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the dastardly terrorist attack on an Army school in Peshawar yesterday, the PCB announces that the proceeds of the fourth ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand will be donated to the families of the martyred children and towards rebuilding the school.
“To demonstrate solidarity in view of the enormous tragedy that has befallen the nation, the PCB has decided to postpone today’s Malala Cup final match scheduled at Muridke.”
In the statement, the PCB said it also has postponed the fourth one-day match between Pakistan A and Kenya, at Lahore, from Thursday until Friday.
Attempts were made to postpone the Wednesday match with New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, the PCB said.
“We tried our best to postpone the fourth ODI but were constrained by the broadcasters commitment as well as for cricketing reasons advised by New Zealand management”, a PCB spokesman said in the media release.
“We are playing outside Pakistan only because of the threat of terrorism at home. If we allow terrorists to disrupt our matches abroad, then all will be lost.
“So we have decided to go ahead with the match and our players will wear black armbands in grief and observe a minute’s silence and flags will be lowered.”
Pakistan have won two of the three matches in the ODI series versus New Zealand.
The fifth and final match of the series is set for Friday in Abu Dhabi.
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