Australia's tour of New Zealand for three T20Is has been cancelled due to coronavirus. The matches were scheduled to be played in McLean Park, Napier on March 17, 18 and 20. (More Cricket News)
The short, four-day-long series, "was initially arranged on the basis of the New Zealand Government’s plan to relax restrictions at the trans-Tasman border," New Zealand Cricket said in the statement, confirming the cancellation."
In January, the Kiwis had postponed their tour of Australia too for the same reason.
"The two boards - CA and NZC - agreed to shelve the series because the Government's plans were now substantially delayed, and there were no Mandatory Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) accommodation available for the Australian side on their scheduled arrival into New Zealand," it added.
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NZC chief executive David White said the move to call off the tour was inevitable given the restrictions at the border.
“At the time we scheduled the visit there was a lot of hope that the trans-Tasman border would be open for those who met the right criteria.
.. However, the advent of Omicron has, unfortunately, changed everything at the border, and has made it impossible for us to continue with the series."
Now, the Black Caps will play their one-off T20I against the Netherlands on March 25 will now be played at Napier's McLean Park. It was earlier scheduled to be played at the Bay Oval in Tauranga.
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Meanwhile, New Zealand women defeated Indian women by 18 runs in the one-off T20 in Queenstown today (February 9). The two teams will play five ODIs before the World Cup in March-April.
The South Africa men's team is also in New Zealand, currently in MIQ in Christchurch, for a two-match Test series as part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. The first Test at Hagley Oval starts on February 17.
New Zealand are the defending World Test champions.
