British Universities team arrives in Pakistan – Cricket News Update
A team of British university students and MCC members has arrived in Pakistan for what is being termed the British Universities tour – a series of charity matches to be held in Lahore.
The tour is part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s plan to convince foreign teams that Pakistan is safe to tour, thus bringing about a revival of international cricket in the sport-starved country. Since the terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team
in 2009, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 has been deemed unsafe for teams to tour owing to the security risk, and the Men In Green have been hosting series in neutral venue such as the UAE.
“We are trying our level best try to convince people - the national teams abroad - that this place is safe,” said http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Intikhab-Alam-c64380, the PCB's director of international cricket, told the tourists, adding that he was sure their experience in Pakistan would convince
them that things were not that bad.
The PCB’s previous attempts to host series have been far from successful – efforts to engage http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 later this month remains unclear. However, the PCB seems
to have decided to start small. In addition to the British Universities tour, they are also in talks with Kent-based club Lashings, who have expressed interest in touring Pakistan.
The current British tour marks a small step in the right direction. The team, comprising university students, graduates, and members of the MCC, will be playing a 25-over match against the Aitchison College team, after which they will be facing off against
a Pakistan under-19 side for two 50-over matches at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Kemal Alam, who will be captaining the touring party, expressed satisfaction over the situation in the country.
“This is the second tour that we have brought here in the last seven years from the British Universities and we are here as a charity team and also a goodwill gesture between Britain and Pakistan,” he said
“Everything so far looks very good … A lot of stuff is distorted and until you can actually come to a country and see it for yourself with your own eyes, you can never get a good picture of what's going on.”
“Pakistan really needs cricket,” he stressed, adding that international cricket in a country was as essential as oxygen.
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