A step in the right direction

Kenyan team's tour is a step in right direction as it can provide the basis for attracting bigger teams to the country

Five long years of a depressing stalemate — that saw Pakistan being unable to host international cricket teams — is starting to wear off with recent tours of Afghanistan senior and junior teams to the country. Now the Kenyan team’s arrival in Lahore for a five-match one-day series against Pakistan ‘A’ provides fresh hope that cricket in the country can come out of its international isolation, which set in after the brazen terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009. In recent months, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shahryar Khan has vowed to make maximum use of his diplomatic skills by inviting cricket teams from around the world to Pakistan. Mr Khan enjoyed a distinguished career as a diplomat, hence his endeavours in facilitating international cricket to the country are expected to bear fruit.

While Kenya cannot be regarded as a potent force, their tour is nonetheless a step in the right direction as it can provide the basis for attracting bigger teams to the country at a later stage. But in a compressed itinerary, all five games are being staged at the Gaddafi Stadium. The PCB, it seems, was keen on staging the matches in a ‘controlled environment’ with minimum security risk. However, for future tours, more than one venue and city must be used in order to provide a broader picture of the state of security in major cricket centres across Pakistan. Teams from Ireland, Zimbabwe and the Netherlands are also expected to tour in the coming months.

On the cricketing front, the series offers a chance to some of the fringe Pakistan players to stake a claim in the national team. The ‘A’ team is led by Fawad Alam, who was inexplicably left out of the national squad currently engaged in a five-match duel with New Zealand in the UAE. Other fringe players like all-rounder Anwar Ali and opening batsman Sharjeel Khan can use this opportunity to show the selectors their worth and try making a place for themselves in the World Cup squad that will be announced soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th,  2014.

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