Foreign spy agency tried to 'sabotage' Zimbabwe cricket tour: Pakistan

LAHORE: Pakistan's Punjab government today alleged that a foreign intelligence agency tried to "sabotage" the Zimbabwe cricket team's tour of the country last month.

Punjab Home Minister Col (Retd) Shuja Khanzada told the Punjab Assembly that the Zimbabwe cricket team manager had received a threatening text message from an unknown number when he landed in Dubai along with the team.

"It warned him that if they (Zimbabwe cricket team and staff) visited Pakistan they would get the same treatment there what Daesh (Islamic State) is doing in Iraq," he said.

"Thank God the Zimbabwe team tour was successful and now Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia are also coming to Pakistan to play cricket," Khanzada said.

Zimbabwe toured Pakistan on May 19 for three ODIs and two T20s.

Despite strict security at the stadium and its surroundings, a suicide bomber blew himself up at an auto rickshaw outside Gaddafi Stadium killing two people during the second ODI between the two countries.

The Zimbabwe team however went ahead with its scheduled 3rd ODI but charged an extra USD 100,000 from the Pakistan Cricket Board.