Bangladeshi cricket team to visit Pakistan this year

Rejecting the impression of reluctance, President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Mustafa Kamal said his team will visit Pakistan this year.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was looking for Bangladesh’s response to an invitation to play a 50-over series later this month. However, the BCB was looking reluctant to come to Pakistan.

However, Mustafa Kamal issued the statement after Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Zaka Ashraf warned Tuesday sporting ties with Bangladesh could be threatened if Bangladesh declines to come to Pakistan for a bilateral series.

He observed, “I think we will have to reconsider our relationship with Bangladesh if they don’t tour us, but I hope such a situation will not come”. It will be decided before the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) meeting whether Bangladesh will be touring Pakistan or not, he added.

He, however, did not name other countries that Pakistan has invited to tour the country, saying that there were those who did not want to see international cricket in the country and were trying to stop others as well.

Replying to a question about Indian team, Ashraf said that the tour was still pending and if India wants Pakistan to tour their country first then they should announce a plan for it.

Earlier this year, a delegation from Bangladesh paid a visit to Pakistan to judge the security situation after the government and law enforcement agencies gave safety assurances.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) offered to appoint local umpires instead of neutral officials, encouraging the bilateral series to go ahead. International officials are reluctant to come to troubled country to officiate matches due to security situation.

Mustafa Kamal, who headed the delegation, had promised to discuss the matter in the ICC board meeting in Dubai which is scheduled from April 14-16.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasnia Wajid will give final clearance to the invitation of the PCB for a limited-overs series.

It is vital to mention here that International cricket has been suspended in the country since a deadly terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 11 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.