PHOTO COURTESY: PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan believes 'cricket is a unifying force' and the nation displayed that kind of unity when Zimbabwe became the first full-member nation to visit the country after six long years of isolation.
'Cricket is a huge passion in Pakistan; it affects everyone. It is a great unifying force because it connects young and old, north and south, east and west. Everyone is involved in cricket."
Head of team Zimbabwe's delegation, Ozias Bvute, said his team felt safe when they visited Pakistan for the series and his words 'Zimbabwe was isolated and therefore we understand the politics of isolation' made the whole Pakistan crowd chant Zimbabwe in the three-syllable chants during the whole tour.
The tour meant a lot for Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq and newly sworn in captain Azhar Ali as they were playing their first international games on their home soil, in front of their home crowd.
Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi also promised that 'In the future when teams visit Pakistan, there will no security issues I can assure you that', while the legendar left-arm fast-bowler Wasim Akram urged the ICC to be 'more involved' in bringing cricket back to Pakistan.
