Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf acknowledges that foreign teams are still reluctant to tour Pakistan due to security fears after Bangladesh twice postponed its scheduled tours to Pakistan last year.
Ashraf says he talked to several presidents of cricket boards during the International Cricket Council’s board meeting in Dubai, but “they are reluctant after what Bangladesh did last year.”
The PCB chief says he is now hoping to host a foreign women’s team or an under-19 team and that an ICC member country has asked him to send a proposal about such a tour.
No major test playing nation has toured Pakistan since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team convoy at Lahore in 2009, killing six police officials and injuring several touring players.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket has met a deadline for a more independent constitution, with the ICC wanting an overhaul to ensure less scope for government interference.
The PCB has met a deadline to present a more independent constitution to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The ICC had set a June deadline for the amendment of the constitution to provide less scope for government interference.
“It has been a long, consultative and thoughtful exercise, and included input from stakeholders including ICC,” PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said in a statement after handing the new constitution to ICC president Alan Isaac in Dubai.
“I am delighted that in the end, we have been successful in delivering a constitution that is in compliance with the ICC’s requirement and will be beneficial for cricket in Pakistan in the long run.”
The ICC wanted cricket boards – especially Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan – to amend their constitutions to allow less interference and a more democratic means of electing chairmen.
“I must compliment Mr Zaka Ashraf, his team and the government of Pakistan for their efforts in producing a constitution which makes the process of electing its chairman more democratic and reduces the risk of inappropriate government interference in line with the ICC’s constitutional provisions,” Isaac said.