Zaka Ashraf hopeful of international cricket’s return to Pakistan – Cricket News Update
The successful staging of two unofficial Twenty20 matches between an International XI and a Pakistan All Stars team, in Karachi, gives Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman Zaka Ashraf hope of international cricket's return.
A http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 led Pakistan All Stars, at the National Stadium in Karachi. The hosts won both the matches comprehensively – by 84 runs
and six wickets. The games were well attended by the fans and the PCB chairman feels it is a step in the right direction and sees international teams visiting the cricket-deprived nation soon.
"I think these matches, despite being private, are a good step," said Ashraf on Sunday. "These matches...generated a lot of enthusiasm from the fans, which is a good sign," he added further.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DPMD-Jayawardene-c1397 led Sri Lankan squad was on its way to Gaddafi Stadium to resume the third day
of the second Test against hosts when their bus was attacked by the militants, killing six policemen and two civilians.
Seven visiting players – including skipper Jayawardene, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ranasinghe-Arachchige-Suranga-Lakmal-c83928 – were also injured in the incident.
Since then Pakistan has been a no-go area for the international players. In the aftermath of the disgraceful incident, the troubled country also lost its hosting rights for the 2011 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Cup.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 Cricket Board agreed to send its national players to Pakistan in April this year, but the tour was called off almost a week before the itinerary, following Bangladesh high court’s intervention.
Ashraf – who was in Karachi on Sunday to witness the second and final Twenty20 match between International XI and Pakistan All Stars – revealed that the PCB was once again in negotiations with its Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh counterparts to try and
bring international cricket back to the country as soon as possible.
"When you talk of international cricket, we are in negotiations with Bangladesh, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashraf-c46397 said. "We are talking to two other boards as well but I am not going to
reveal names. We have given them security plans and I am sure the day is not far when we have big time cricket in Karachi, Lahore and other cities," the PCB chief concluded.
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