Re: England and Pakistan Tour going to be affected?
England tour of Pakistan still on](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakveng/content/story/221522.html)
Cricinfo staff
October 10, 2005
England’s tour of Pakistan is still on despite Saturday’s earthquake which left tens of thousands dead.
The England board (ECB) has been liaising with its Pakistan counterparts (PCB) as well as the two governments over the weekend. “We send our condolences to the Pakistani people who have been affected by the earthquake,” Colin Gibson, the ECB’s communications director, told the BBC. “At this stage there is no indication the tour is in any doubt or the tour schedule affected in any way.”
“At this stage the tour is on,” Pakistan daily Dawn quoted Asad Mustafa, the PCB’s logistics manager as saying. “We are hopeful that, God willing, everything on the tour front will be sorted out by the time England land in Rawalpindi.”
England are due to arrive in Pakistan on 26 October and their first match takes place at Rawalpindi on October 31, an area within the earthquake zone. The final two ODIs, on December 19 and 21, are also scheduled to take place there.
“Cricket is followed by everyone in Pakistan and it will get their minds off this tragedy,” Rameez Raja, a former chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board told the BBC. “Cricket can be a healer.”