The New Zealand cricket team manager, Dave Currie, says the side is devastated by what has happened in Christchurch.
A shallow 6.3-magnitude quake struck at 12.51pm on Tuesday, 10km south-east of the central city, causing many deaths and widespread devastation.
Mr Currie says many of the team, who are competing in the World Cup in India, were woken by calls from friends and family early on Tuesday morning local time.
He says their thoughts are firmly with the people of Christchurch and they feel the deepest sympathy with those who have lost loved ones.
Captain Daniel Vettori has echoed those sentiments, saying it's obviously been tough for the players and members of the management crew who are based in Christchurch.
He says the team has been watching developments on television and what's happening is very much in their thoughts.
Mr Currie says the match against Australia scheduled to be played in Nagpur on Friday will go ahead.
The International Cricket Council is to discuss with World Cup organisers how they can most appropriately mark the quake when the match is played.
Australian cricketers going home
The Australian women's cricket team are to return home with their New Zealand tour cancelled in the wake of the earthquake.
The Southern Stars were due to play their opening one-day international against New Zealand at Lincoln, on Thursday but New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia have agreed to call the Rose Bowl series off.
The Australian side was training at their Lincoln University base when the quake struck but team manager Julie Savage says no-one was injured.
All Whites player shocked
In Britain, the All Whites football player Winston Reid says his joy at scoring his first goal for English club West Ham Utd was quickly put into perspective by the earthquake.
Reid, who scored one of the goals in a 5-1 FA Cup win over Burnley, says it was a fantastic night but the earthquake put it into perspective and his heart goes out to everyone back home.
The 22-year-old, who has friends and cousins in the Christchurch area, says he's still in shock and watching the news intently for updates.
