Photo of Pakistani security cover to Sri Lankan team in 2019 is shared as that to New Zealand cricket team - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 24, 2021
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that the photo is of the Pakistani government providing security to the New Zealand Cricket team. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of Pakistani government providing security to New Zealand cricket team.
Fact: The photo is old and was taken in 2019 when the Sri Lankan cricket team were touring Pakistan for a limited-overs series. Sri Lanka’s team was attacked by armed personnel in Lahore in 2009, hence the Pakistan government promised them the same level of security as a head of state in 2019. The New Zealand cricket team did arrive in September 2021 in Pakistan after the government promised them ‘extraordinary’ security for a three-week tour. However, the New Zealand cricket team called off their tour of Pakistan because of a security alert from their government, just minutes before their first match. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When a reverse image search is done on the photo, a tweet with the same image was found. The tweet was posted on 30 September 2019 by a journalist on his verified Twitter handle named Azzam Ameen. The tweet says, “Sri Lanka Cricket team entering the Karachi Cricket ground for the #PakvsSL clash.”
Sri Lanka Cricket 🏏 team entering the Karachi Cricket ground for the #PakvsSL clash. pic.twitter.com/pU53cx0CWu
Similar visuals can also be seen in a YouTube video uploaded by the official YouTube channel of Sri Lanka Cricket. In the video, Asantha de Mel (then National Team Manager of the Sri Lankan cricket team) spoke about the security provided in Pakistan. There was no mention of New Zealand here.
Sri Lankan team arrived in Pakistan on 24 September 2019 for a limited-over series, with the Pakistan government promising them the same level of security as a head of state. Hence, the heavy security to the Sri Lankan team seen in the photo. Sri Lanka’s team was attacked by armed personnel in Lahore in 2009. Since the attack, Pakistan had been playing most of its ‘home’ matches in UAE and was a no-go zone for international cricket teams for a decade after the attacks.
The New Zealand cricket team did arrive in Pakistan after the government promised them ‘extraordinary’ security for a three-week tour. The New Zealand team arrived almost after 18 years; they last went to Pakistan for a one-day series in 2003. However, on 17 September 2021, the New Zealand cricket team called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan because of a security alert from their government, just minutes before their first match.
To sum it up, a 2019 photo of the Pakistani security cover to the Sri Lankan cricket team is shared as the Pakistani government providing security to the New Zealand cricket team.