Bangladesh to tour Pakistan at month endESPNcricinfo staff
April 15, 2012
International cricket is set to return to Pakistan after three years, with Bangladesh formally confirming to the PCB that they will play one ODI and one Twenty20 International there later this month. There has been no cricket between two Full Member nations in Pakistan since the attack on the Sri Lanka team in March 2009.
The ODI is scheduled for April 29 and the T20I for April 30. Both matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The ICC has asked the the PCB to provide a comprehensive security plan for consideration, following which its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit will commission a localised risk assessment to determine whether its officials and staff are appropriately protected by the proposed security plan, before any further decision is taken in relation to their appointment.
Last month, the ICC had introduced a “special dispensation” to be made only in “exceptional circumstances” in order to ensure that bilateral series take place even if the ruling body has determined it “unsafe” to appoint its officials for such series. This would allow such series to be manned by “non-neutral match officials”, a departure from the ICC’s Standard Playing Conditions, pending permission from its executive board.
Sunday’s announcement follows lengthy negotiations between the two boards over the terms of the tour, and the strings attached to it. At times it looked as though the tour would be a non-starter but on Sunday it was welcomed by both sides.
“The public of Pakistan have been deprived of cricket and we felt that we needed to support them,” BCB president Mustafa Kamal said. “The reception we received when we toured Lahore and Karachi on our security visit was overwhelming.”
Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, thanked the BCB and the Bangladesh government for their support for the tour.
There had been several itineraries proposed for the tour, including a three-match ODI series and a series of two ODIs and one Twenty20 international. Karachi and Rawalpindi were the other possible venues but ESPNcricinfo understands they were dropped on security grounds.
The tour will come a little more than three years after masked terrorists attacked the Sri Lanka team bus and a van carrying ICC officials to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, on what would have been the third day of the second Test of that tour.
The ICC is still mulling over whether or not to send it's match officials to Pakistan. Although Pakistan has some first class umpires in Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf (but both are already in IPL and this hastily arranged series is not in their diary), I think PCB should press the ICC to provide it's own officials for the short series to be played in Lahore. It would look a lot better for Pakistan's case to have wholehearted support from the ICC
Yeh mein nahin ... This is what Bangladeshi fans are saying on their forums. They refer to Mustafa Kamal as 'lotus' Kamal. Many feel that he would do anything for power, is acting against the wishes of the players (apparently Shakib and Tamim will not tour) and fans and putting players' lives at risk (citing escape of 350 'Al-Qaeda' terrorists from a jail in Banu yesterday) for personal gain. Some even saying that Kamal has been black-mailed by PCB
Even though I was not for International cricket in Pakistan at this point in time, but now that BD is coming, I’ll pray that tour goes on without any slightest incident. Even a stone thrown on BD’s team bus, will send Pakistan 3 years back.
and for BD supporters going mad on the tour,* ager baitey ko baap k jotey aaney lageen tu wo baap sai bara nahi ho jata *
I am sure even today, Pakistan’s B (or C) team can beat BD in 7-8 out of 10 games
I was saying that it I did not hear that all 350 were of same group. No Pakistan channel was saying that yesterday. Not the attackers, but the escapees.
3? You mean 30, right? Seriously, who will visit after any such incident, large or small. Frankly, I’d have waited for another few years, maybe the change of the government along with (hopefully) some improvement in the security situation.
But if they are to come, I pray the small tour goes along safely. I still remember getting a call from a friend saying the Sri Lankan team was attacked. It so feels like last week.
I will be keeping my fingers crossed until each one of the touring squad gets home in Dhaka and elsewhere.
It's not that terrorists are roaming on the streets of Lahore openly, it's just that I have zero trust in the capabilities of Rahman Malik a.k.a. "berooni haath". Interior/Law Minister of Punjab, Rana Sanaullah, is also good for nothing.
I do not see any method in this madness. No sky would have fallen had we waited for another year or so for international cricket to make a return. It would have been good to go for PPL instead of a series which won't last even as long as TV commercials run during talks shows.
Anyway, we have put our reputation — whatever was left — on stake. Now it shouldn't be less than a matter of life and death for our security apparatus.
Yeah, but why risk it.Why make it a matter of life and death now - emphasis on the word now - when we have death and destruction going on in the country noony noon and nighty night. We’re as helpless as we were 3 years back when it comes to security, why make things difficult for ourselves in the long run.
And even if the tour goes on smoothly (which I hope it does), what will it accomplish? Foreign teams will still dread coming here!
Seriously, who will visit after any such incident, large or small. Frankly, I’d have waited for another few years, maybe the change of the government along with (hopefully) some improvement in the security situation.
I still remember getting a call from a friend saying the Sri Lankan team was attacked. It so feels like last week.
Why make it a matter of life and death now - emphasis on the word now - when we have death and destruction going on in the country noony noon and nighty night. We’re as helpless as we were 3 years back when it comes to security, why make things difficult for ourselves in the long run.