Zaka Ashraf, chairman Pakistan Cricket Board is full of hope that the current Test rubber against England at Abu Dhabi will be their last home series at an off-shore venue. It is nearly three years since international cricket was last played in Pakistan and PCB is desperate to bring back cricket to home venues, he maintained.
“This England series could be our last series to be held at an off-shore venue. We are keen to host international teams just like other member boards are doing,” Ashraf was quoted by a cricket website. “We are already engaged with the Bangladesh board and I am sure their tour to Pakistan in April will break the ice.” “We are in contact with the [Pakistan] government as well and they have given their consent to us hosting Bangladesh to start with. They have given us their full support,” he said.
But a spokesman for the Bangladesh cricket Board created doubts over the tour on Thursday, when he said that final decision has not been taken yet on playing in Pakistan. “The government has told us to form a security delegation to visit Pakistan but we have nothing in writing as yet from the government and it is yet to be decided when it is the best time for them to go to Pakistan,” the spokesman said.
He made it clear that it was only after the security delegation’s visit to Pakistan that the Bangladesh board would take a decision on touring Pakistan in April.
A PCB official said that even they realised that a final decision on the tour would be taken based on the feedback given by the Bangladesh security delegation that would include officials of the police, interior ministry and government.
“But we are hopeful that Bangladesh will tour Pakistan because they have agreed to review our invitation to them and are sending their security delegation for this purpose.”
“We are confident that the briefing that will be given to their security officials should put to rest any doubts they have in their minds about international cricket being played in Pakistan,” he said.
