Timeline

21 July, 2021: The Combined Threat Assessment Group (CTAG) provides a verbal threat assessment about New Zealand Cricket’s tour to Bangladesh and Pakistan to the Major Events Security Committee. MFAT later revealed the threat level was ‘‘high’’.

22 July: CTAG issues a threat assessment regarding the tour. The document includes an assessment of the threat from terrorism and violent protest in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as threat assessments specific to the proposed tour. The document was sent to a variety of organisations, both within NZSIS, and the wider national security sector, including MFAT and DPMC.

5 August: CTAG and Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet plan for a meeting with a NZ Cricket regarding the threat assessment. Pakistan announces the tour and schedule.

6 August: CTAG emails DPMC to confirm that the planned meeting with the NZ Cricket employee is still going ahead on August 10. DPMC advises the NZ Cricket Board had not made a decision, and that the briefing from CTAG would help inform any decision.

10 August: Representatives of CTAG, MFAT and DPMC meet with the NZ Cricket.

12 September: Black Caps arrive in Pakistan for their first tour in 18 years.

17 September, 8.28am: CTAG identifies new intelligence reporting (received in CTAG holdings at approximately 8am) regarding a specific and credible threat against the cricket matches between Pakistan and New Zealand.

17 September, 9am: MFAT are advised that CTAG would be issuing a threat warning related to the tour, and that the threat level was being moved upwards.

17 September, 9.14am: CTAG issues threat warning regarding attack planning against the New Zealand cricket team.

17 September, evening: Black Caps call off the tour on Friday evening, just minutes before play was due to start.

18 September: Black Caps fly out of Pakistan on charter flight to Dubai, late on September 18, arriving on the morning of September 19.

19 September: NZSIS communications team liaises with DPMC and MFAT regarding media enquiries about the tour. 20 September: CTAG issues a threat insight on potential threats from the cancellation of New Zealand Cricket’s tour of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, MFAT said its travel advice was clear. But it decided to reissue its advice, and update the Safe Travel website to include ‘‘sporting events’’ in the list of potential targets for terrorists.

Mills, of the players’ association, said there was heightened interest in Pakistan, because the Black Caps hadn’t been there for so long. What the public didn’t see was that the same security processes were followed, no matter what country the team was travelling to.

Sometimes this meant the Black Caps toured countries or cities with a high threat level, as long as everyone was confident in the security plan.

Other times, there were last-minute venue changes, cancelled practices, or cities scrapped from the tour schedule.

Mills said NZ Cricket tried really hard to make the tour happen. ‘‘And we were comfortable – we were there for five days. We were about to play a game that night.’’

The outcome left him with a ‘‘sense of sadness’’. ‘‘It was absolutely the right thing to do, and we’d do it every day of the week. But you still feel for the people of Pakistan.

‘‘There’s lots of good people there who just want to get on with their lives and watch some cricket, so you just feel sad.’’

NZ Cricket said it would fulfil its tour obligations with Pakistan, as soon as possible.