Cricket: ICC Keen on Cricket Revival in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755
The International Cricket Council is keen on the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. The troubled country has not staged an official match since, the attack on the Sri Lankan team during a test match in Lahore, in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 last year that left five Sri Lankan cricketers with minor injuries.
The interest has been renewed during meetings held between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the ICC who have shown willingness to send a team to the terror ravaged country at the end of next year. If, the security situation shows an improvement in venues such as Karachi and Lahore, the hubs of cricket in the country.
The first test between Pakistan and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 sponsored by the Marylebone Cricket Council ended yesterday with the Australians recording a 13th straight win against their opponents in test cricket.
An absorbing test match drew interest from the English media and audience. It was widely believed that the match could have been much more enthralling if Pakistan’s batsmen had shown some patience and determination of staying on the wicket, a virtue that has gone missing from their cricket. Many believe the reason is the lack of test cricket as they struggle to host test cricket ever since the unfortunate attack in Lahore.
The Chief Executive of the ICC http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Haroon-Lorgat-c61719 claimed in a media session yesterday that the governing body of the game wanted to ensure that Pakistan is not lost as an international team, especially with the talent that the country is filled with.
To support the cause the ICC has appointed two former Captains, Englishman Mike Brearley and Australian Greg Chappell as Ambassadors for Pakistan cricket.
The two former stars of the game will ensure that they accumulate support from the rest of the test playing countries and invoke their interest in the game in Pakistan, before eventually touring the country at least once in the next two-three years.
Meanwhile, Haroon Lorgat hinted that the ICC is mulling over the possibilities of staging an international series in Pakistan by arranging a World eleven or a team of upcoming players. Yet it all depended on the state of security closer to the event, which is being planned for next year.
"It will always be dependent on the expert advice of the security experts, but we think that perhaps towards the end of next year we must start looking at what the horizon looks like and if it is at all possible.
Lorgat added that it was of paramount importance to keep thinking of possibilities of playing cricket in Pakistan as it is an integral part of the cricket fraternity.
"We will assess the situation very, very carefully. We know that we can't leave things as they are if it is at all possible to play in Pakistan," he said. "I'm not just suggesting a bi-lateral series; it may be an ICC XI. Whether it's a youth team, an older team, or whatever... I would go with that team as well.
The ICC supremo himself visited Pakistan as part of the T20 World Championship trophy tour programme earlier in the year. During his one day visit to Karachi he went on a media spree answering tricky questions about the revival of the game in the country and why the ICC continued to shun Pakistan, as perceived by the local media.
Lorgat, had at the time expressed his keenness on reviving international cricket in the country but had cautioned that it was not something that was immediately possible, as the security situation remained volatile in the country.
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