New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told her Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on Friday that the New Zealand cricket team could have been attacked, Pakistan's interior minister said.

New Zealand called off a limited over series in Pakistan just hours before the first play on Friday, citing a security threat.

Sheikh Rasheed, the interior minister, also said that Pakistan's security agencies had received no alert about a possible attack on the team.

New Zealand abruptly abandoned their tour of Pakistan on Friday citing a security alert in a massive blow to the South Asian country's hopes of staging regular international cricket.

The tour was due to get underway with the first of three one-dayers in Rawalpindi on Friday but New Zealand did not travel to the stadium.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) then issued a statement announcing their decision to call off the tour.

"Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the Blackcaps will not continue with the tour," it said.

NZC declined to share details of the security threat and said arrangements were being made for the team's departure.

New Zealand, minus several frontline players, were visiting Pakistan for the first time in 18 years and were also due to play five Twenty20 matches in Lahore.

Top teams have largely shunned Pakistan following an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.