Cricket: Afghanistan express concern over touring Lahore

Team due to play in T20 tournament in the city.

LAHORE: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has expressed concern over visiting Pakistan as the team takes part in the country’s domestic National Twenty20 Championship to be held in dengue-ridden Lahore.

The board has suggested putting off the event if the situation in the city, where over 3,000 people have been infected with the deadly virus, remains the same.

However, The Express Tribune understands that the event will go ahead as planned but with extra precautions taken to combat the dengue virus.

The event, featuring 13 regional teams along with Afghanistan, is expected to attract a full house at the Gaddafi Stadium, situated in an area situated declared to be a risk for the deadly disease. The Punjab Government has also declared an emergency situation to deal with the menace that has affected over 4,000 in the province.

“It’s a concern not just for us but also for the other teams,” ACB Director Marketing and Media Tariq Naeem told The Express Tribune. “We are getting updates through media reports and it appears that the situation is not good.

“Obviously the PCB itself is monitoring the situation very closely but we will decide in a couple of days,” added Naeem. “As far as what the situation is right now, I can only suggest postponing it in the best interest of the public and the players but we will still wait for the hosts to make the final decision.”

Meanwhile, the Karachi City Cricket Association had requested the PCB to arrange for their practice sessions to be held in Lahore, a call that was denied by the board.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th,  2011.