Pakistani officials have expressed their disgust after a terrorist bomb killed 14 people and led to the immediate cancellation of New Zealand's tour. The attack threw Australia's plans to tour later in the year into question and raised fears that Pakistan could be forced to play all their cricket away from home for the foreseeable future.

Ten French nationals were among the dead when a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into their minibus, two hours before the second Test was scheduled to begin.

The blast smashed windows at the nearby Sheraton hotel where the Pakistani and New Zealand teams were staying.

"A decision to cancel the tour has been taken after mutual consultation between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the New Zealand Cricket (NZC)," PCB director Brigadier Munawar Rana told a press conference.

"We are disgusted because this leaves us in an embarrassing position," Rana said. "We provided the New Zealand team with best security but this was beyond our control and is very sad."

Rana later told AFP: "I would request the cricket world to allow us some time and allow the dust to settle down and let us regroup and host positive cricket.

"We are devasted with these events and realise that teams touring to Pakistan would definitely rethink before coming, but they must take into account that we gave New Zealand the best security."

Match referee Mike Procter of South Africa said the Karachi Test was cancelled after a unanimous decision. "The PCB, NZC and New Zealand team manager Jeff Crowe mutually decided that security problems do not allow the Karachi Test to go on so the tour is off."

"I feel really very sorry for Pakistan cricket and millions of cricket fans here."

The New Zealand team were due to leave for home on Wednesday night. None of the cricketers were injured in the explosion, but New Zealand physiotherapist, Dayle Shackel, received a minor cut to his forearm from flying glass.

The players were preparing to leave for the first day of the second and final Test at Karachi's National Stadium, but the attack brought the series to an abrupt end.

It was the second time terrorism had affected the tour. New Zealand were originally due to tour last year, but the series was postponed after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

"It's too early to say that other teams will stay away from touring Pakistan," said Rana, "but we need to do all-out efforts and we know it will be tough."

Speaking from Sydney, ACB chief executive James Sutherland said that Australia's tour, planned for August, would be reviewed.

"With some months to go before we travel to Pakistan the situation is clearly quite fluid," he said. "Given the time-frame it would be inappropriate to lock into a position today. This process allows us to make well-informed decisions closer to the time.

"The ACB will continue to receive advice from the relevant experts to help the Board make a proper judgement on the situation in Pakistan. I am also conscious of recent events that have affected international cricket in this region, and I will be speaking to the Pakistan Cricket Board as soon as possible about how Australia can help them in managing this situation."

"We'll consult with the Pakistan Board, the Australian High Commission in Pakistan, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for expert opinion on any risks posed to Australian players, and our own international security experts."

Six weeks ago, the ACB cancelled Australia's tour to Zimbabwe after deciding the risk was too great following political unrest there. West Indies refused to play in Pakistan in February this year and their two Tests and three one-dayers were instead played at Sharjah, a major blow to Pakistan's millions of cricket-lovers.

India has banned bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan in protest at Islamabad's alleged support for the Muslim militancy in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Jeff Crowe denied reports he had asked the PCB to shift the Karachi Test to Lahore or some other venue.

"We never made any such requests and were always due to play in Karachi," said Crowe. "All the players feel uneasy and the responsible thing is to return home ... we feel very sorry for Pakistan."

"The families of the players are uneasy and the decision to go is after consultation from all parties involved."

New Zealand players remained at the hotel poolside for nearly two hours after the blast, fielding anxious phone calls from home.

It is not the first time that a New Zealand cricket tour has been cut short by terrorism. In 1987 they abandoned their tour of Sri Lanka after a bomb killed 100 people, and in 1992 a bomb went off outside their hotel, again in Sri Lanka, prompting some of the players to fly home.

New Zealand lost the one-day series 3-0 and were last week handed their worst-ever defeat, in the first Test at Lahore.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd