Afghanistan over Pakistan: Marylebone Cricket Club – Cricket News Update
Despite efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s newly appointed chief, Zaka http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashraf-c46397, the resumption of international cricket in the country appears to be a distant possibility. In a recent statement given to the BBC, President of the Marylebone Cricket Club,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Richard-Phillip-Hodson-c85275, expressed his preference to tour Afghanistan instead of the Green Nation.
"I'm going to Afghanistan to look at Kabul and the cricket pitches we have put in. Then I will go to Lahore as a private citizen. I think there's much more chance of taking a team to Afghanistan than there is to Pakistan. I think we could do something in
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745, and I don't think it will be long away," he said.
Pakistan cricket suffered a huge setback after the March 2009 Lahore attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team, which left six Pakistani policemen and a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Graham-Robert-Cowdrey-c60631 driver dead, and many injured. Though the Lankan cricketers escaped relatively unharmed, the attack
rang alarm bells world-wide, resulting in a drought of international cricket in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, with cricket boards and players unwilling to risk a tour.
After the PCB failed to convince neighbours http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 and Bangladesh, the MCC President’s statement is sure to disappoint not only the board, but also the cricket fans in the country. The Marylebone Cricket Club, founded in 1787, is one of the most prestigious
cricket clubs in the world, and also drafted the ‘Laws of Cricket’, which are revised from time to time.
Incidentally, the MCC also owns the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground, and is involved in promoting cricket globally by sending their teams to various countries to spread the sport. The Club also assisted cricket in Afghanistan, by providing pitches and facilitating
training. Unfortunately, Pakistan, owing to the critical security situation, finds itself bereft of such international support.
However, despite the fact that the Pakistani team has no option but to play away from home, the Men In Green have performed reasonably well over the past year. Following a 3-0 whitewash of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 in a Test series earlier this year, they recently went on
to win the Asia Cup 2012 after defeating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 in the finale.
Currently, the main focus of the PCB is on resumption of international cricket in the country and according to news, the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kent-c802 based team, Lashings, may be willing to tour Pakistan in a bid to support the country’s cricket.
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