Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) CEO David East has confirmed the UAE expects to host Pakistan’s series with both Sri Lanka and South Africa this winter.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had hoped to convince the two countries to tour the sub-continental nation but continued violence linked to the Taliban and Al Qaeda meant they kept in close contact with the ECB.
On Monday the PCB took out an advertisement in a local newspaper inviting bids to sponsor the two series while an unnamed official told AFP that the games would indeed “be played in the UAE”.
The Emirates has played host to 48 Pakistan matches in all forms of cricket since the attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, which left six Pakistan police officers and two civilians dead.
“We met with them last week,” East was quoted by a website. “We fully expected to be staging them. They have said they wanted to stage their series in the UAE, we’ve said we’d be delighted to do so, so we’re just finalising the details at the moment. If they’ve made the announcement that they’re coming then that’s great.”
Pakistan will play two Tests, five one-day and three Twenty20 internationals against South Africa in November and October before returning to the Emirates to face Sri Lanka in three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s in January and February.
East was unable to confirm the exact itinerary of either tour but preparations are under way and it is understood matches will be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
“We’ve been staging these matches for four years now I understand,” East, who took up his role with the ECB at the beginning of the year, said. “It’s a difficult situation for Pakistan not being able to host their own cricket in their own country at the moment.
“It’s desperately sad but we’re in a position in a similar time zone to be able to support them so they can fulfil their sponsorship and broadcast commitments. And we’ve got world-class facilities that we’re more than happy to support them with.”
Australia were the first team to play Pakistan in the UAE following the attacks, a little over six weeks later in April 2009. England were the last team to play Tests against them here, suffering a whitewash in their three-match series.