Zaka Ashraf slams Bangladesh’s decision to postpone planned tour to Pakistan – Cricket News Update
Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, on Tuesday criticised Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision to postpone a planned cricket tour to Pakistan a second time due to security concerns, saying his country will “reconsider” its bilateral ties with Bangladesh.
Reacting aggressively to the BCB’s decision to put their this month’s proposed tour of Pakistan on hold, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashraf-c46397 said that they will not sacrifice their interests for those who do not honour their words. The PCB chief also said that his board never forced the BCB management to send its national team to Pakistan.
"If they don't want to come it’s their own decision and we didn't force them," Zaka Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo. Bangladesh, he claimed, had confirmed the tour to the Pakistan Cricket Board as well as to the International Cricket Council (http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625).
"three times and still they backed off. Now their own reputation is at stake. If they don't want to respect their bilateral relationship then we will also respond in the same manner," added the PCB chief.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mustafa-Kamal-c78122 as the nominee for the ICC vice presidency. But the itinerary was embargoed after the Dhaka High Court ordered the Bangladesh government to suspend the matches on security grounds.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s top brass last month agreed in principle to send the national team to Pakistan for a short limited-overs series in the mid of January 2013. However, the BCB president Nazmul Hassan, on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the security situation prevailing in Pakistan, and said that the Bengali Tigers would only tour the troubled country if the security situation there improves.
"...there is concern among us about the country's security situation, it has deteriorated. We don't think it will be wise to visit Pakistan at this time," the BCB chief told media persons on Monday.
Ashraf said that it was almost confirmed that the Tigers would tour Pakistan this month, adding that his Bangladesh counterpart’s announcement came as a surprise to him, especially after the Pakistan government had promised a top-level security.
"We had promised the best security arrangements and were hosting matches in Lahore, which is very safe," said Ashraf. "An international eleven last year played matches in Karachi and there were no problems…Soon we will manage to get a better team to tour Pakistan than Bangladesh," concluded the PCB chief.
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