Cricket: Bangladesh PM to decide on tour

Final say on Pakistan tour expected on Thursday.


Saleem Khaliq April 03, 2012

KARACHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has handed Prime Minister Hasina Wajid the task of approving the team’s proposed tour of Pakistan.

The decision is likely to be taken by Thursday as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tries to stay optimistic after statements coming from the BCB have all but washed away any hopes of the tour actually going ahead despite a clearance by their security team.

“Earlier, the BCB was really eager to send its team,” PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf told The Express Tribune.

“However, things have gone down after their loss in the Asia Cup final and now they’re saying that they need to get the prime minister’s approval on the matter before confirming the tour.

“The tour still hangs in the balance but even if Bangladesh do not come to Pakistan, we won’t be dejected. We’ll look at other options to bring international cricket back to the country.”

A British universities team is currently on a tour of Pakistan and with the matches shown live on television, Ashraf has used this opportunity to show the world ‘how safe Pakistan is for cricket’.

Zaka reiterates desire to launch PPL

Meanwhile, the PCB chief also reiterated his desire to launch the Pakistan Premier League in the wake of the snub handed out to the Pakistan players by the IPL organisers once again.

“The companies that have been involved with the IPL as well as the Bangladesh league will give us a presentation this month and we can take things forward from there.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.

COMMENTS (6)

z shams | 11 years ago | Reply

@Syaad:

My dear Syaad (hope this is your real name!). Thanks. Please tell your PCB Chairman not to waste his valuable time by trying to invite a fourth class Bangladesh team and hurt the vanity of world champion Pakistan team-- a team which is a victim of international cospiracy and and they have no right to deprive the cricket fans from watching other world champion teams in their peaceful country. You are very right when you say PPL will be a much better option. We wish you all the luck. But please leave us alone. Please do us another favour by not forgetting to communicate your wonderful idea to Zaka and PCB.

Syaad | 11 years ago | Reply

The BCB administrators seem to be clueless. Earlier they said the ICC will have to approve it, and now they are passing the bucks to their Prime Minister.

We all know the answer, what do you expect from the same Prime Minister who did not have the decency to award the winning trophy to Pakistan because their team lost. PCB, please forget about the Bangladesh cricket, what are we going to achieve by hosting team like Bangladesh. This will not convince teams like SA, AUS, ENG to visit Pakistan. Like in the past, It will however achieve empty stadiums for the PCB.

I think PPL with some international players is a better idea and a good place to start. The visual reality not the verbal assurance will convince the top tier teams to visit Pakistan.

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