END IN SIGHT FOR PAKISTAN EXILE
World T20 team will tour eight years after terror attack
THE return of full international cricket to Pakistan moved a step closer yesterday when it was confirmed former England coach Andy Flower will lead a World XI in three Twenty20 matches in Lahore next month.
And there was further positive news when West Indies said that as long as the World XI games pass off peacefully, they will play a threematch Twenty20 series in Pakistan in November.
The ECB have given permission for Flower, now Lions coach, to be at the helm of a world team to take part in the first ‘ international’ matches in Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in 2009. No current England players are expected to be included because the matches clash with the 50-over series against West Indies, but Moeen Ali said last week he would like to play in Pakistan in any future venture.
And former England one- day captain Paul Collingwood, 41, could feature if his county schedule with Durham allows.
Progress towards the return of toplevel cricket to the country was made earlier this year when the final of a Pakistan Super League competition staged in the United Arab Emirates was successfully moved to Lahore.
England’s Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan, plus former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, were among the overseas players whisked into Pakistan for the match and straight out again afterwards in a huge security operation.
Pakistan have been forced to play all their ‘home’ international cricket over the last eight years in the UAE and the return of some of the world’s leading players now would be a great boost to the game in the country. Respected security advisor Reg Dickason, who gave the green light to England’s tour of Bangladesh last winter, has given his blessing to more high-profile cricket in Pakistan as long as it passes an ICC inspection later this month.
Pakistan have promised the same ‘presidential’ level of security for the 15-man world squad as England were given in Bangladesh.
The world squad — due to be announced later this week — will undertake a seven-day training camp in Dubai before arriving in Lahore for the first of three scheduled matches against Pakistan on September 10.
‘This is a very big thing,’ said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi. ‘ We will open the doors and international teams will come. Pray that our security remains solid. The government has given us the signal and preparations are in full swing.’
Sethi hopes Karachi will soon be able to stage international matches again, but for now it is only Lahore, scene of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka bus by 12 gunmen. Six members of the tourists’ squad were injured, while six Pakistani policemen and two civilians were killed.