PCB invites SL for series

Interior Ministry assures stringent security for the tour.

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally invited the Sri Lankan cricket team to tour the country after gaining assurance from the Interior Ministry.

There has been a question mark hanging over the tour given the security situation in the country. This is the first time that the PCB has invited any cricketing nation after the Lahore attack in 2009. Since then, Pakistan had been ‘hosting’ its matches on neutral and away venues.

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt expressed his optimism about Sri Lanka agreeing to play the series that comprises three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20.

“We’ve now formally invited the Sri Lankan team after the assurance by the Interior Ministry,” he said. “The ministry has confirmed that and is now ready to have a tough security plan for the tour.”

There had been reports of many joint discussions and meetings held by the two boards but matters never developed into anything substantial as the PCB always failed to provide a tough security plan. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) left it to individual boards to decide their course of action, the boards wanted the governing body to make a decision.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2011.