Pakistan’s efforts to continue playing cricket despite the toughest of situations and performing at their best was praised by Haroon Lorgat, ICC Chief Executive. “Pakistan team is a joy to watch. There are a lot of supporters around the globe and they make many people happy. So when Pakistan performs it is good for international cricket,” he said. According to Gulf News, on the contribution of UAE as a neutral venue in helping Pakistan continue playing international cricket despite the team’s not touring their country, Lorgat said: “We were very particular that Pakistan continues to play international cricket though the first choice was always on their home soil. When that was not possible we wanted to make sure that they play cricket and if on neutral venues so be it but we want that they must play cricket. It would have been most unfortunate if they would have been sitting at home and not playing.”
Lorgat said: “Pakistan is a very talented team, they can produce players of the highest quality and all that is left is for them to deliver on the field. Recently, under Misbah-ul- Haq they have played very well in recent series. There are many people who are proud of their performances and we are happy when teams are performing.” Lorgat wants all teams around the world to be competitive. “We need all teams to be competitive. It is not helpful if there are only two or three teams at the top end. Whether Pakistan or West Indies all of them need to perform and compete at the top,” he added.When asked about the possibility of a Pakistan-India series, Lorgat said: “It’s always very topical to see if you can play Pakistan versus India. It’s a seriously important fixture and something which no doubt Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf will also have in his mind and we will support whatever is possible to make it happen.”
