RAWALPINDI: Pakistan is ready to host international cricket matches once again after a three-year break, authorities said Monday after the successful staging of a domestic Twenty20 event.
International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lanka team bus on its way to the Lahore Test in March 2009, leaving eight people dead and several players and officials injured.
Tens of thousands of cricket-starved fans thronged the Rawalpindi Stadium during the week-long Super Eight Twenty20 tournament, which ended on Sunday and was marked by tight security.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said fans were desperate to see foreign teams come and play – and the country was ready for it.
“The discipline shown by the fans prove that we deserve international cricket and the successful event with immaculate security proves that we can host international cricket,” said Malik, whose Sialkot team won the final on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited Bangladesh for a limited-overs series later this month, but is still waiting for an answer.
Javed Miandad, Pakistan’s all-time leading Test run-scorer and a PCB board member, said the success of the Super Eight showed the appetite for international cricket was enormous.
“This event sends a big message to the world,” he said. “We don't have to say anything, 22,000 people on Sunday night demanded the return of international cricket in Pakistan and we can host that in near future.”
Since the Lahore attack Pakistan have had to play all their “home” matches on foreign soil, mostly in the United Arab Emirates, and their share of 2011 World Cup games was moved out of the country for security reasons.
Pakistan also played “home” matches in New Zealand and England in 2009 and 2010.
The PCB and police put stringent security arrangements in place for last week's Twenty20 tournament, hoping they would serve as a model for matches against visiting foreign teams.
“We deployed 1,300 policemen and each and every fan entering the stadium was thoroughly body-searched, and the successful event proves that we can also stage international cricket,” senior police officer Malik Matloob said.
Shoaib Malik said that Pakistan badly needed international cricket.
“We have been playing on foreign venues, which not only deprives the fans but also young players who want to improve their skills in the game, they can't do that when they don't see their stars play before them,” he said.
The PCB said it was also looking at the option of staging a Pakistan Premier League (PPL) along the lines of the lucrative Indian Twenty20 league, with foreign players involved.
“We are doing our best to bring international cricket back to Pakistan,” said PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf.
“We are quite positive about that and are also planning to host the PPL so that we can take the first step.”
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If we go back to 2008 when Pakistan was to hold the ICC champions trophy, i.e. much much before the attacks on the SL team..5 of the 9 participating teams were not willing to come and play in Pakistan. So even if we get the Bangladesh team, or Zimbabwe or even Sri Lanka to come again, there will still be quite a few teams who will not be willing to play in Pakistan.
Only way forward, assuming that all security considerations are correctly dealt with, is the Pakistan premier league. If financial incentive is given, there were players and 'rebel' teams who were willing to play an apartheid South Africa as well..i dont see why they wont come to Pakistan..
Yes that good sucssesful domestic cricket matches.It means pakistan once againe ready for international matches in pakistan.thank you pcb chairman zaka ashraf sir .
As a Pakistani citizen, I crave to see international cricket back in Pakistan.. For those who are against this, I wish them to come back to your home country and see the ground realities themselves, our country is in no harm as long as me and you have our faith in it, and we are there to protect it, and to serve it. Our only problem is that we do not learn from our mistake. I urge the Bengali team and other teams to take a leap of faith and give us a chance, so that we can prove to the world that we HAVE learnt from our mistakes. Yes I am an optimist, Pakistan Zindabad!
To All Thinking it is a bad idea and bla bla ...What on earth you Guys are thinking ?? It is not That bad as we say in Punjabi "[inni v lut nahi machii huii ab"]... Grow Up and support your Country instead of just making charming comments ...Today Start won the Broadcasting copy rights of Indian Cricket in $750Million for 6 years ... What our cricket worth here ?? We have to take initiative and bring international cricket home at any cost ...
In overseas here when people taking about Law and odder in Pakistan, they are referring this cricket scenario and this news directly impact our foreign investment, we need to host a tournament badly to save our face as soon as.
That would be a horrible idea. Do you really want to be shamed once again? What is more dear to Pakistanis than cricket and guests? Do we want both to be injured again?
We are at war right now in which multiple parties are involved, each more ruthless as the other. The Americans follow a few rules: Kill combatants first, let civilians be 'collateral damage'. The taliban and extremists go out of their way to kill civilians first.
No, cricket is a bad idea until we get our house in order.
International cricket is possible only when all Terrorist groups provide un-conditional guarantee that they will not harm International Players, their Officials and foreign media... Gurantees by Fans, Government Officials and Ex Cricket Players have no face value/ There will be no International cricket untill all Terrorist groups give permission.
Yes like when Pakistan was ready when Sri Lanka came here. Even the Sri Lanka were given security guarantees. Visits to Pakistan are not even covered by Insurance companies anymore.
Eagerly waiting for PPL...Infact the idea was first generated by PCB however due to bad law & order situation we could not launch it...Fingers crossed now.. :)
Did you check the security at Rawalpindi stadium during final ? There was no security at gate 1 or 2. You just had to give the policemen a 100 Rupee note through the gate to open the door and thousands flooded until every 10 min.
Security was only deployed for the VIP's!