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Pakistan has objected to New Zealand’s request that their Davis Cup tennis tie be moved to a neutral venue because of security concerns.

Pakistan is scheduled to meet New Zealand in an Asia-Oceania Group II semifinal from July 9-11, but New Zealand has asked the International Tennis Federation to move the tie to either New Zealand or a neutral venue.

Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary Rashid Khan said on Tuesday that New Zealand should either travel to Pakistan for the Davis Cup matches or forfeit.

“We want the ITF to either allow us to host the tie in Pakistan or award us a walkover against New Zealand,” Khan said.

Khan cited the ITF’s decision to fine Australia $10,000 last year when it refused to play an Asia/Oceania Zone group match in the Indian city of Chennai for security reasons.

“The ITF should give us a walkover like they awarded to India when Australia refused to travel to Chennai,” he said.

Tennis New Zealand contacted the ITF on Monday to express its security concerns over playing in Pakistan.

“We spoke to the ITF last December when the draw came out and they said they would not review the situation until both Pakistan and New Zealand got through the first round,” Tennis New Zealand’s operations manager, Tracy Hall, told the New Zealand Press Association. “We have e-mailed the ITF asking about the process and what we need to do to have it reviewed.”

Pakistan has played its last three Davis Cup ties — against Oman, the Philippines and Hong Kong — away from home because of foreign teams’ security reservations over traveling to Pakistan.

Pakistan has been virtually a “no-go zone” for international sports events since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus at Lahore last March.

The attack near Gaddafi Stadium left several Sri Lanka players injured and killed six policemen. 



AP