Fingers crossed: Zimbabwe expected to break cricket drought in Pakistan

African team the first Test nation to show interest in touring the country since 2009

KARACHI: With no Test team having played on Pakistani soil since the ill-fated armed attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, the wait could be over for Pakistani fans as Zimbabwe are planning to break the deadlock this year.

According to the details, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to host Zimbabwe for a five-match ODI series after completing the tour of Bangladesh, which ends early May.

Earlier, Pakistan hosted the Kenyan cricket team, which failed to make the impact that the PCB had envisioned, leading to suggestions that such efforts would hardly serve to change the country’s image on an international stage.
Ireland were close to visiting Pakistan last year, but an attack on the Karachi Airport last year forced them to abandon their tour for security reasons, while twin blasts in Lahore forced the Netherlands to pull out of their expected tour.
“Zimbabwe want to come and play in Pakistan,” Shaharyar Khan told reporters in Lahore. “Previously, we were talking about Associate nations but this is something big because a full-scale Test team wants to play in Pakistan. We’ve asked them to come in May and play a five-match one-day series with us if they can bear the heat. Their last reply was that they will meet us in the upcoming International Cricket Council meeting to finalise the details of the tour.”
While Kenya played all five matches in Lahore, Shaharyar stated that the PCB plans to hold some matches in Karachi this time.

“I’m trying to have three matches in Lahore and two in Karachi when Zimbabwe come here. The most important thing is that Zimbabwe have approached us for a series, which has certainly encouraged us and the supporters,” he added.

 

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