PCB shows hope for tours from Bangladesh, South Africa next year

After the success of Sri Lanka’s visit to Lahore for a T20 international match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hopeful for a visit from Bangladesh and South Africa in the coming year.

This was stated by PCB Chairman Najam Sethi on Monday.

“We have the option of hosting Ireland and Afghanistan, too. However, after visits by the World XI and Sri Lanka teams to Lahore, we [PCB] want to invite the big teams [to play in Pakistan], ” Sethi said.

“We are trying to host Bangladesh and South Africa next year in Pakistan. I am hopeful that they will visit in the next 12 months,” Sethi added.

On Oct 28, Pakistan had hosted Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium for the third and final match of the T20 international. Sri Lanka had returned to play in Pakistan eight years after a terrorist attack on their team bus near the same venue.

With regards to holding the Pakistan Super League 2018 final in Karachi, the chairman said that the comments made by globally-renowned security official Reg Dickason after his visit to National Stadium in Karachi had been very encouraging.

“Holding the PSL final in Karachi is a possibility now,” Sethi said. “After Lahore, we want to host PSL matches in Karachi, too. Dickason’s comments were very encouraging.”

SRI LANKA PLANNING MORE TRIPS TO PAKISTAN:

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is planning to send more teams to Pakistan after the success of the T20 match held in Qaddafi Stadium on October 29, for the first time since a gun attack eight years ago, a top official said on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the national team was impressed with the extraordinary level of security for the match at Gaddafi stadium on Sunday.

“They delivered the security they promised and we were very satisfied with all the arrangements,” de Silva told reporters in Colombo a day after the team returned home.

He said the board would send junior sides to Pakistan soon and the senior side would follow as soon as possible.

“In my nine years of cricket I have never seen that level of security,” Perera said of Sunday’s match which Sri Lanka lost by 36 runs. “I think we can play again in Pakistan.”

Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara and board President Thilanga Sumathipala also travelled to Lahore for the final of the three-match T20 series to underline Colombo’s confidence in the security arrangements.

The first two matches, which Pakistan won by seven and two wickets respectively, were played in Abu Dhabi before Sri Lanka flew to Lahore in a 24-hour fly-in, fly-out arrangement.