PCB proposes SL tour to Pakistan after World Cup

Board has prepared draft letter to invite Islanders, says Sethi.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed to host Sri Lanka once the 2015 ODI World Cup concludes, after the Islanders’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed that his team should support Pakistan, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The development came on the sidelines of a meeting between Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and Rajapaksa in Shanghai, China, where the Sri Lankan president acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in helping the country both during and after the civil war.

The Pakistan team is scheduled to play in Sri Lanka in August, but Rajapaksa said, “We must go and play there also. We can’t allow the terrorists to have control.”

International cricket has remained suspended in Pakistan after an armed attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009, which left six policemen and two civilians dead while six members of the touring party were also injured.

“We want to host Sri Lanka after the 2015 World Cup because it will be a good window given that we will not have any international commitments,” confirmed a senior PCB official.

“Moreover, the security situation which is continuously improving will hopefully be even better by then.

“The ideal time to host them will be in April-May 2015 and we’ll follow the matter regularly and seriously with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).”

We’ve drafted invitation letter for SLC: Sethi

PCB Chairman Najam Sethi stated that the board has prepared a draft letter which will be sent to SLC in the light of Rajapaksa’s statement.

“We’ve already drafted an invitation for SLC and the PCB will undergo all efforts to bring back international cricket to the country and diplomacy will be involved at every forum to make it a reality,” vowed Sethi during a press conference in Lahore.

He also commented that he wants a smooth transfer of power in the board before the Management Committee’s tenure ends on June 9.

“I suggested to the board’s Patron-in-Chief Nawaz Sharif that our tenure is ending on June 9 and it should not be prolonged. I want the constitution to be approved and elections to be held before the date.”

However, the chairman clarified that it was up to the patron to decide whether he wanted Sethi to stay or someone else to come into place.

The chief further revealed that Sharif wants the current role of patron to remain verbatim in the new constitution as well.

Speaking on another matter about removing corruption in the game, Sethi said that it was a process of educating and monitoring all those involved. In regards to reports related to Umar Akmal, the PCB chief explained that Umar was approached by a bookie back in 2012, but he  reported it to the PCB had forwarded to the information to the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2014.

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