Don’t blame the players: Mitchell McClenaghan responds to Mohammad Hafeez’s tweet slamming New Zealand

New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan hit back at Pakistan veteran Mohammad Hafeez for blaming the New Zealand players for cancelling the the tour of Pakistan at the last minute after receiving a security alert from their government minutes before the first ODI this week.

Hafeez criticised the New Zealand cricket team for leaving Pakistan without playing a single match. New Zealand Cricket claimed on Sunday that they had received a “specific, credible threat” from their government against its team which is why they had to abruptly cancel the limited-overs tour on Friday.

“Thanks to the security of Pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach at airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today???” Hafeez tweeted.

But McClenaghan hit back at the all-rounder, saying that the New Zealand team only acted on advice that it received from its government.

Thanks to the secutity of pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach at airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today??? pic.twitter.com/mwxq6AFjyT

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) September 18, 2021

“Come now bro. This has a bad taste to it. Don’t blame the players or the organisation, blame our government. 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,” McClenaghan wrote before deleting the tweet minutes later.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White revealed on Sunday that the “threat level changed” on the day of the first ODI in Rawalpindi, forcing them to pull the plug on the tour at the very last minute.

The BLACKCAPS have arrived in Dubai after leaving Islamabad on a charter flight last night (New Zealand time).

The players and support staff are now settling into their Dubai hotel and undergoing a 24-hour self-isolation.

More information https://t.co/ksZBWLGLrT pic.twitter.com/UBrwwiSQiR

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) September 18, 2021

“What I can say is that we were advised this was a specific and credible threat against the team,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White said in a statement.

“Everything changed on Friday. The advice changed, the threat level changed and, as a consequence, we took the only responsible course of action possible. Unfortunately, given the advice we’d received, there was no way we could stay in the country.”

New Zealand had been visiting Pakistan for the first time in 18 years and were scheduled to play 8 white-ball games (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is) in Rawalpindi and Lahore.