Disappointed with the postponement of a much-anticipated tour by Bangladesh, the Pakistan Cricket Board will meet on Sunday to discuss its fallout. The meeting has been called as the PCB is also not happy with the role of a section of the media in highlighting the security issues in Pakistan. “The PCB has learnt that clippings of some Pakistani newspapers and articles which were against Bangladesh playing in Pakistan due to the security situation were submitted by the petitioners in the Dhaka High Court on Thursday,” reports quoting a source said.
“Apparently the petitioners used these articles and clippings to highlight the fact that it was not safe for Bangladesh to tour Pakistan at this time. The PCB believes that the media at this time needed to support it 100 per cent instead of creating a negative trend,” he said. Interestingly, most Pakistani TV channels reported that two senior players of the Bangladesh team were involved in moving the petition in the Dhaka High Court which gave a four weeks injunction against Bangladesh going to Pakistan. “Obviously we will be discussing future plans because we were preparing for the series against Bangladesh. But immediately we have no alternative plans,” PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad said. “We are waiting to see what happens next week although the Bangladesh Cricket Board has informed us it can’t send its team to Pakistan in the next four weeks and after that period we have to go to Sri Lanka,” Ahmad said. He ruled out any chances of the PCB inviting some other to replace Bangladesh. “It is too late now for us because we were sure Bangladesh would come.” Ahmad said that what had come as a surprise to the PCB was that in December the entire BCB governing board was briefed on the tour on the insistence of its President Mustafa Kamal. “The BCB governing board was in the loop about the tour and we only started moving things after they gave their agreement to the tour taking place,” the PCB official said. He said it was too early to say if Pakistan would not support the nomination of Kamal for the post of ICC vice president.
“We will meet and talk out things and also plan for the future. We will now start focusing on the coming series with Australia in Sri Lanka and also on possibly holding the PPL this year,” he added. But Ahmad minced no words in highlighting the general mood in the PCB as far as relations with the BCB were concerned.
“We don’t want to say anything more now but we are extremely disappointed and hurt. The four weeks injunction given by the High Court and the prompt postponement notice by the BCB to us and also the ICC came as a surprise to us.” Asked if he believed the Indian board or a lobby was behind the postponement of the tour, Ahmad said the PCB had dealt directly with the BCB and believed they would come. “As far as our bilateral relations with India are concerned our Chairman had a fruitful meeting with the BCCI President in Dubai and we are looking at things positively.
Cricket stadiums should be enacted in places such as Hyderabad, Nawabshah or Thatta where there are no issues related to terrorism. It would boost lot of tourism. Locals would offer lot of culture and new hotel industry would be launched. Can Zaka work on this novel idea.
Matches can also be organised at locations such as Defence Stadium near to the beach.How is that?
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