Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi is hopeful to bring more top ICC full members in Pakistan for the bilateral series. Sethi is looking forward to the upcoming ICC meeting where he will try to convince other top full members to return to Pakistan.
The upcoming ICC meeting will be held in Kolkata from April 22-26 where the new Future Tour Program (2019-2023) is expected to get the final touch.
Sethi is looking forward to the meeting as he will try to convince other top full members to return to Pakistan for bilateral series.
He told, “The ICC meeting will be an important platform for us to talk to other board officials and try to convince them to send teams to Pakistan for bilateral series.”
Also read: Aamer Sohail claims PCB need to learn how to handle the scandal from ball-tampering row
After the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in 2009, Pakistan’s home cricket has hugely suffered. While their home venue shifted in UAE, Pakistan had zero international matches until 2015. In May 2015, Zimbabwe had the successful tour in Pakistan where they had played 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is.
In the last year, Pakistan organised total four more international matches (three T20Is against World XI and one T20I against Sri Lanka). Since 2009, all of those international matches had been organised at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Recently, Pakistan has also successfully organised the three-match T20I series against Windies. All those three matches were played at National Stadium, Karachi.
Despite these series, the big ICC members haven’t travelled in Pakistan since 2009 as they are still concerned about security.
However, Sethi is hopeful to change the present situation soon.
He said about this, “The good thing is that Giles Clarke who heads the ICC’s Special Task Force on Pakistan Cricket will also be briefing the ICC Board members on the return of international cricket to Pakistan.”
Sethi also claimed that Giles Clarke was happy with PCB’s organising PSL 2018 (organised last three playoffs) and the recent T20I series.
Also read: PSL observed two helicopters to dry out the wet outfield
Sethi also commented that Lahore and Karachi have shown that they can organise any international cricket matches.
He said on that, “We have gradually shown the world that international cricket can be played in Pakistan. From last year we now have two venues which can host any team with the required security arrangements, Lahore and Karachi.”
