LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is placing its hopes on a positive report from an international security company hired by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to pave the way for the return of international teams to the country. The security company which is based in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates will be accompanied by a representative of the Federation of International Players Association (FICA) during a visit to Lahore at the end of August. PCB chairman Najam Sethi said the report by the security company would decide the planned tour by the World eleven to Lahore followed by a visit by the Sri Lankan team for one or two T20 matches. “The ICC is helping us in our endeavours to revive international cricket in Pakistan. The company has a good reputation and we are very hopeful they will find all our security arrangements and plan to their satisfaction,†Sethi said.
The World eleven is scheduled to visit Lahore between September 10 and 15 to play three T20 matches with former Zimbabwean Test player Andy Flower presently putting together the World eleven outfit. Sethi said the security delegation would undertake a detailed visit for four days and meet with government officials and get assurances that all recommendations submitted by security experts who visited Lahore for the PSL final are implemented in the SOPs.
He said the government security officials had assured them that the recommendations of the security experts who came to Lahore in March had been implemented in the new SOPs. Sethi said that the security company would send its delegation to Pakistan every year to review security situation and arrangements and each visit would cost $400,000 which would be paid by the ICC. “This process will continue for three years,†he added.
The PCB chief said that the report of the security company will be very important for the PCB. “It will basically pave the way for the return of international cricket to Pakistan and also for the PSL to be played in its home country.†He said the PCB wanted a FICA representative to accompany the ICC security company so that foreign players concerns about playing in Pakistan were cleared.
Sethi made it clear that while he was thankful to the chairman of the Sri Lankan cricket board for giving a very positive message for Pakistan cricket but it was a fact that the planned tour by Sri Lanka even for one or two matches was subject to government clearance. Sethi who took over as chairman of the PCB last week insisted his main priority was to get international teams to visit Pakistan again and remove their misgivings about security in the country.