'As safe as anywhere': Pakistan step up bid to secure Australia return

[MenInG]

Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan is trying to convince Cricket Australia and the players’ union to agree to an Australia A tour of the country as the next step in the effort to attract a full Australian team back there for the first time in over 20 years.

Wasim is in Australia for the two-Test series, the first of which starts at the Gabba on Thursday, and is eager to progress talks about a long-awaited Australian return to Pakistan, particularly with Sri Lanka having just signed to play the first Tests in the country since the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore 2009.

According to the ICC Future Tours Programme, Australia aren’t due to play Tests away to Pakistan until 2022 but Wasim wants to get the ball rolling with an Australia A tour and plans to meet with CA chief Kevin Roberts, who travelled to Pakistan in September with CA security boss Sean Carroll, and Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Alistair Nicholson in coming days to discuss a potential visit.

“One of the areas I’d like to discuss with Cricket Australia is around a potential Australia A tour before that,” he said. “I’m meeting the players’ association in Melbourne while I’m over here.

“In terms of the length of a tour, what that entails, where the venues are ... that would need to be discussed, particularly the length of the tour. These are some of the discussions Kev and I briefly touched on in Pakistan without going into too much detail. It’s certainly something that I would like to discuss with him and start to work towards that. Clearly, Australia are still two and a half years away from coming, so there is a long time in between.”

Another factor that could work to Pakistan’s advantage is the promotion of retired Test all-rounder Shane Watson to the presidency of the ACA. Watson is still playing on the Twenty20 franchise circuit and was among the players to travel to Karachi in February when the city hosted eight matches during the Pakistan Super League.

Watson, who is again in the draft of the next PSL alongside fellow Australians such as Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting, was quoted in Pakistan media on the weekend saying “it was one of the highlights of my career to be able to play in Karachi”.

“It was one of the safest places to be in the world with that kind of security around,” Watson was reported as saying.

It is the safety of players and touring staff that will be the major discussion point in talks with CA and the players’ union. For security reasons, an Australian team has not toured the country since Mark Taylor’s side in 1998.

“We feel we’re in a good place now, to be honest,” Wasim said. “We’re no less safe than anywhere else in the world. Just look at what happened [with terrorist attacks] in New Zealand and Sri Lanka and what happens in London every day.

“We’ve really moved forward a huge amount and we’ve been incident-free in the major cities now for a long time. All of that now seems to be in good control.

“We recently had Sri Lanka [in Pakistan for a T20 series in October] and one of the things they said was there was probably too much security, rather than not enough,” he said. “They went out to restaurants to eat, we took them to shopping malls, they just had a natural existence there as much as possible. It’s just finding the right balance really. We’re happy to provide whatever security levels and assurances people want.”

The PCB is hoping to have Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, who was a member of the team attacked by gunmen 10 years ago, travel to Pakistan as part of a Marylebone Cricket Club tour there while Bangladesh are scheduled for two Tests in January and West Indies have been invited for T20s in March.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cri...-secure-australia-return-20191118-p53bp5.html

 

[Shafi]

Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan is trying to convince Cricket Australia and the players’ union to agree to an Australia A tour of the country as the next step in the effort to attract a full Australian team back there for the first time in over 20 years.

Wasim is in Australia for the two-Test series, the first of which starts at the Gabba on Thursday, and is eager to progress talks about a long-awaited Australian return to Pakistan, particularly with Sri Lanka having just signed to play the first Tests in the country since the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore 2009.

According to the ICC Future Tours Programme, Australia aren’t due to play Tests away to Pakistan until 2022 but Wasim wants to get the ball rolling with an Australia A tour and plans to meet with CA chief Kevin Roberts, who travelled to Pakistan in September with CA security boss Sean Carroll, and Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Alistair Nicholson in coming days to discuss a potential visit.

“One of the areas I’d like to discuss with Cricket Australia is around a potential Australia A tour before that,” he said. “I’m meeting the players’ association in Melbourne while I’m over here.

“In terms of the length of a tour, what that entails, where the venues are ... that would need to be discussed, particularly the length of the tour. These are some of the discussions Kev and I briefly touched on in Pakistan without going into too much detail. It’s certainly something that I would like to discuss with him and start to work towards that. Clearly, Australia are still two and a half years away from coming, so there is a long time in between.”

Another factor that could work to Pakistan’s advantage is the promotion of retired Test all-rounder Shane Watson to the presidency of the ACA. Watson is still playing on the Twenty20 franchise circuit and was among the players to travel to Karachi in February when the city hosted eight matches during the Pakistan Super League.

Watson, who is again in the draft of the next PSL alongside fellow Australians such as Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting, was quoted in Pakistan media on the weekend saying “it was one of the highlights of my career to be able to play in Karachi”.

“It was one of the safest places to be in the world with that kind of security around,” Watson was reported as saying.

It is the safety of players and touring staff that will be the major discussion point in talks with CA and the players’ union. For security reasons, an Australian team has not toured the country since Mark Taylor’s side in 1998.

“We feel we’re in a good place now, to be honest,” Wasim said. “We’re no less safe than anywhere else in the world. Just look at what happened [with terrorist attacks] in New Zealand and Sri Lanka and what happens in London every day.

“We’ve really moved forward a huge amount and we’ve been incident-free in the major cities now for a long time. All of that now seems to be in good control.

“We recently had Sri Lanka [in Pakistan for a T20 series in October] and one of the things they said was there was probably too much security, rather than not enough,” he said. “They went out to restaurants to eat, we took them to shopping malls, they just had a natural existence there as much as possible. It’s just finding the right balance really. We’re happy to provide whatever security levels and assurances people want.”

The PCB is hoping to have Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, who was a member of the team attacked by gunmen 10 years ago, travel to Pakistan as part of a Marylebone Cricket Club tour there while Bangladesh are scheduled for two Tests in January and West Indies have been invited for T20s in March.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cri...-secure-australia-return-20191118-p53bp5.html

As a batting coach?

 

[Boiz Played Well]

Thriving Pakistan safe for cricket: CEO

Pakistani cricket has lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" and a generation of stars as a result of no Tests being played in the country for a decade.

So says its chief executive Wasim Khan, who predicts the sport can only sustain itself in Pakistan for three more years if rival teams continue boycotting the country.

Hoping to entice Australia for a first Test series in Pakistan since 1998, Wasim said the ramifications of not hosting international cricket since 2009 amid terrorism fears had been financially catastrophic.

"It's difficult to put a figure on it but it would probably run into a few hundred million (dollars). At least a few hundred million," he told AAP on Tuesday.

"We've had to play in the UAE and it costs us huge amounts of money to play in the UAE.

"I don't think we can financially sustain ourselves if cricket keeps getting played in other areas.

"The Emirates Cricket Board have been good friends to Pakistan cricket for a long time, but it's no longer an option for us because, as far as we're concerned, it's safe to play in Pakistan."

New skipper Azhar Ali has played 73 Tests - but none in Pakistan.

"That's the reality not only for the fans but also for the players," Wasim said.

"We've probably lost part of a generation because they've not been able to grow up watching their heroes.

"We want players to be playing at home so our kids can be inspired to want to become cricketers, take up the game, like any other country."

Wasim said he and his organisation would be doing everything in their power to have Pakistan host Australia in 2022.

"We know it all comes down to the players," he said.

"Players have to feel confident. They have to feel comfortable in the environment they're coming into."

And Wasim believes there is absolutely no reason why Pakistan shouldn't be hosting Tests, as it will next year when Sri Lanka return for the first time since their team bus was attacked in 2009.

"Terrorism is a scourge for everybody and we've probably lost more people to terrorism in Pakistan than any other country, but I firmly believe that all those things are behind us now," he said.

"The last two or three years we've been incident-free in all the major cities.

"There's a perception in the outside world which is not a reality of what's going on in Pakistan."

Wasim said he would not have relocated from England to Lahore 10 months ago with his wife and two daughters, aged 10 and 12, if it wasn't safe

"It's a great lifestyle," he said.

"It's a great cafe culture.

"Over 70 per cent of the Pakistani population is under 30, which is pretty phenomenal.

"It's a young, vibrant country."

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/thrivin...zZg4VG7Dbyh7QzzT37l8gl888ag8vIMtqVIX-PYuG2gXA

 

[Sunny_majoka]

PCB is doing well. Test cricket this winter in Pakistan will be a big plus.

 

[Mamoon]

So PCB honchos touring with the team isn’t a needless expense now? I suppose everything is justified and rational under the lid of PCB’s newly found fake professionalism.

 

[Mamoon]

The predictable excuse would be that he is there to convince Australia to tour, but no PCB executive has toured a country for a holiday. They all had their justifications.

Wasim has already proved that he is exceptionally incompetent and clueless. There is a very slim chance that he will have breakthrough talks with Australia. However, I am sure he will have a great time in Australia on PCB’s money.

 

[Xoib]

The predictable excuse would be that he is there to convince Australia to tour, but no PCB executive has toured a country for a holiday. They all had their justifications.

Wasim has already proved that he is exceptionally incompetent and clueless. There is a very slim chance that he will have breakthrough talks with Australia. However, I am sure he will have a great time in Australia on PCB’s money.

He has already convinced Sl to play test matches in pakistan first time in a decade sure the seeds were laid by najam sethi and I give him credit but that does not mean WK and EM should not get any credit for carrying that momentum I know many past PCB honchos who would have derailed the good work for their egos.

A potential England and Aus A tours in next 12 months will really be a great stepping stone to full international cricket resumption in pakistan

 

[Savak]

The predictable excuse would be that he is there to convince Australia to tour, but no PCB executive has toured a country for a holiday. They all had their justifications.

Wasim has already proved that he is exceptionally incompetent and clueless. There is a very slim chance that he will have breakthrough talks with Australia. However, I am sure he will have a great time in Australia on PCB’s money.

I like your double standards where you would justify these expenses for Najam Sethi, Shahryar Khan but are not going to do the same for Wasim Khan. Mashallah no one can doubt you are exceptionally competent at being utterly negative and a a downer

 

[Xoib]

I like your double standards where you would justify these expenses for Najam Sethi, Shahryar Khan but are not going to do the same for Wasim Khan. Mashallah no one can doubt you are exceptionally competent at being utterly negative and a a downer

Especially givin the fact that Wasim Khan and Mani has a track record now of being able to convince teams to play in Pakistan so its shows these trips do have benefits not unlike Sethi was was also able to do the same hence was justified in these expenses.

 

[anonymous_guy]

The predictable excuse would be that he is there to convince Australia to tour, but no PCB executive has toured a country for a holiday. They all had their justifications.

Wasim has already proved that he is exceptionally incompetent and clueless. There is a very slim chance that he will have breakthrough talks with Australia. However, I am sure he will have a great time in Australia on PCB’s money.

However "exceptionally incompetent and clueless" Wasim Khan is, he and his team have convinced Sri Lanka to play 2 test matches in Pakistan, and even made sure the limited overs series went without any hiccups even though there were security threats (it might have been a false alarm, or a geniune one, not sure about that)and the S.L.C. board were apprehensive about the tour.

 

[Relic]

However "exceptionally incompetent and clueless" Wasim Khan is, he and his team have convinced Sri Lanka to play 2 test matches in Pakistan, and even made sure the limited overs series went without any hiccups even though there were security threats (it might have been a false alarm, or a geniune one, not sure about that)and the S.L.C. board were apprehensive about the tour.

It was a fake letter.
Someone emailed it anonymously

 

[Mamoon]

The only individual who deserves credit for the restoration of cricket in Pakistan (to some capacity) is Sethi.

It is no coincidence that as soon as he got involved with the PCB, the process of hosting matches in Pakistan was accelerated.

If PCB are able to host Test cricket and hold talks with the likes of Australia and England, it is because they were successfully able to host T20Is, ODIs and PSL matches every year since 2015.

Wasim and Mani are simply capitalizing on the momentum created by Sethi.

As far as Wasim is concerned, his incompetence was exposed when he appointed Misbah as coach and selector with zero prior experience in both jobs.

The unprofessionalism and shoddy process of appointing Misbah could be seen from the moon.

The job description was clearly designed to discourage foreign applicants and Misbah was clearly appointed behind the scenes long before the job was advertised.

Moreover, Wasim and Mani thought it was a good idea to make Misbah a member of the committee that decided Mickey’s future.

No professional board would have allowed a potential successor to decide the future of the incumbent. It almost impossible to expect impartiality.

ECB must be thanking their lucky stars that they got rid of Wasim. He would have run a professionally run board into the ground.

 

[Gilly]

Reconsider your need to travel to Pakistan due to the volatile security situation and high threat of terrorist attack, kidnapping and sectarian violence. See Safety and security.

This is the Australian government warning for travelling to Pakistan, CA cannot agree to tour.

 

[Technics 1210]

This is the most ridiculous Aussie government warning I have ever read. No such warning in place when Australia were touring Sri Lanka in the midst of a civil war.

Australia have always had a problem playing in Pakistan, long before this laughable excuse of late.

 

[Abdullah719]

This is the Australian government warning for travelling to Pakistan, CA cannot agree to tour.

The threat level is perceived to be the same as Bangladesh. Australia toured Bangladesh in 2017.

 

[angrypathan]

The threat level is perceived to be the same as Bangladesh. Australia toured Bangladesh in 2017.

Watch him ignore your post like he does every time someone calls him out for saying something foolish

 

[Gilly]

You need to read the whole advice.

A significant number of terrorist groups hostile to Western interests operate in Pakistan.

The number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has fallen in recent years but they have become more lethal. Counter-terrorism operations occur regularly across the country but the threat of attack remains very high. Terrorist attacks could occur anywhere and at any time.

Many terrorist attacks in Pakistan have involved multiple, consecutive explosions. At times where there are heightened threats of terrorist incidents, or immediately after an incident, security officials may cut mobile phone service in affected areas until the threat has passed.

 

[Abdullah719]

You need to read the whole advice.

For Bangladesh:

Terrorist attacks are possible anytime, anywhere. Reliable information suggests militants may be planning to target Western interests in Bangladesh.

Security agencies frequently arrest people connected to militant and terrorist organisations who are alleged to be planning acts of violence. Some of these groups are anti-Western.

Between 2015 and 2017, there were several fatal attacks claimed by Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL). Foreign nationals, religious minorities, human rights and LGBTI activists were among those targeted. Writers, bloggers and publishers have also been attacked, many fatally.

And Australia toured Bangladesh in 2017.

 

[Abdullah719]

Australia take steps to return to Pakistan for Test cricket

Spoiler

It has been more than two decades since Australia toured Pakistan but the wheels are in motion for that streak to be snapped in the next three years.

That's the aim of both Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board, whose chief executive Wasim Khan is in Australia hoping to convince the Australian players the Asian nation is once again safe to host regular international cricket.

Khan is keen for an Australia A side to visit Pakistan before the Test sides are due to meet again away from Australia soil in early 2022, according to the ICC Future Tours Programme.

"A lot of these things are baby steps. We need discuss timings of a potential 'A' tour, the length of the tours and where it's played," Wasim told cricket.com.au.

"It gives us an opportunity to close a gap a little bit because we have two-and-a-half years before Australia are here (in Pakistan).

"Kevin Roberts (CA chief executive) and Sean Carroll (CA Head of Security) came out to Pakistan just to have a look and feel and understand the landscape in Pakistan around security.

"The major cities have now been safe for a very long time … this is all about building confidence with players and CA that Pakistan is a safe place to come.

"Kevin and I acknowledged that's what we want together over that period of time because CA is committed to see sustainable cricket back in Pakistan. We'll work towards with that."


The 2009 terror attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore put an immediate stop on Pakistan playing on home soil, but in recent years several nations – including West Indies and Sri Lanka – and a World XI side have toured the war-torn country playing white-ball cricket.

But perhaps the strongest catalyst for international cricket to come back to Pakistan permanently arrived earlier this week when it was confirmed Test cricket will return to Pakistan next month when Sri Lanka visit to play two Test matches.

"We've got a population of 220 million passionate cricket fans," Wasim said.

"For Test cricket to come back after such a long period is a huge lift for the whole country, not just for cricket.

"We need it to sustain us both financially and from a cricket perspective.


"Azhar Ali is going to be stepping out to captain in the first Test on Thursday, he's played 60-odd Test matches and has never played a Test match in Pakistan. That's a sad statistic.

"We need youngsters being able to see their local heroes play and relate to them.

"We have lost a generation over the past 10 years who have not seen international cricket consistently being played."

Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 due to security concerns but the visit by Roberts and Carroll last month has the prospect of an Australian team playing again in Pakistan a real possibility.

However, the safety of the players remains the number one priority.

"We share Pakistan’s desire for international cricket to return to their country and we’re encouraged to see Sri Lanka agreeing to a two-Test series there next month," Roberts said.

"We won’t be rushing into a decision. We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with experts and evolve the discussions from my recent visit to Islamabad. First and foremost in our thinking is the safety of our players and staff.

"That said, things appear to be heading in the right direction as Pakistan’s home Test series against Sri Lanka would suggest. I hope we do return there for the sake of world cricket and Australia's important relationship with Pakistan."

Khan will speak to the Australian Cricketers' Association in Melbourne, where the players' union's new president Shane Watson will be a key figure in providing assurances about the safety of competing in Pakistan.

Watson is one of the few Australians to play in Pakistan in the past 10 years when he took part in the Pakistan Super League, which played eight matches in Karachi last February.

The seasoned allrounder, who along with Ben Cutting and Chris Lynn has entered into next month's PSL draft, was quoted as saying it was "one of the safest places in the world with that kind of security around", which, ironically, may have gone too far.

"The one bit of feedback (from visiting players) is perhaps the security is a bit too much," Wasim said.

"We'd rather have it that way than the other way.

"When Sri Lanka toured about a month or so ago they went to restaurants, shopping malls, we facilitated all of those things while they with us to try and keep a sense of normality as much as possible.

"We have got 260 players from 15 countries who are registered for the Pakistan Super League draft which is in a few weeks' time.

"That's a testament, hopefully, that the players are starting to see a sense of normality in Pakistan and they're happy to tour."

Khan says a power of work has been put into the security around visiting teams, as shown but the increasing number touring sides.

"We've had the likes of Zimbabwe, the World XI, the West Indies men and women on T20 tours and we hosted Sri Lanka about a month and a half ago in both T20s and ODIs," he said.

"What we did was evidence once again that we've got high quality security measures in place and just as importantly we can implement them to a high standard.

"We're very grateful for the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and to the players who came during the white-ball series who went away and actually spoke about the positive experiences and how great it was and encouraging others to come back."

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/pak...2022-tour-wasim-khan-kevin-roberts/2019-11-19

 

[lifecric7]

I am here in Australia..given the public mood here.. this tour is not happening.the security advice strictly says avoid travelling.

 

[aloo paratha]

You need to read the whole advice.

Lmao that is so OTT.

 

[Saj]

I can't see CA sending any teams to Pakistan for a very long time.

I think Wasim Khan should focus his energy on other Boards.

 

[Titan24]

Australia take steps to return to Pakistan for Test cricket

"The one bit of feedback (from visiting players) is perhaps the security is a bit too much," Wasim said.

"We'd rather have it that way than the other way.

Why cant he have it in balance, why is he only considering two extremes?

2009 was one extreme with no person with even a pistol with the team and now after so many matches already happened, security needs to be tight but not over the top. Basic security just like any other country would have served the purpose in 2009 and should serve the purpose even now.

 

[Savak]

I can't see CA sending any teams to Pakistan for a very long time.

I think Wasim Khan should focus his energy on other Boards.

We cant keep repeating the same stuff for 20 years. People said the same thing about the PSL in 2015 and look where we are now. Wasim Khan is doing the right thing. Australia and England coming over will be big.

 

[aloo paratha]

Why cant he have it in balance, why is he only considering two extremes?

2009 was one extreme with no person with even a pistol with the team and now after so many matches already happened, security needs to be tight but not over the top. Basic security just like any other country would have served the purpose in 2009 and should serve the purpose even now.

Cricket coming back to Pakistan is still a novelty, and we can't take any chances right now. In the next 3-4 years when touring Pakistan comes normal like it was before I'm sure the security will be toned down a little.

 

[Titan24]

Cricket coming back to Pakistan is still a novelty, and we can't take any chances right now. In the next 3-4 years when touring Pakistan comes normal like it was before I'm sure the security will be toned down a little.

True but, I hope that players feel as comfortable going out or relaxing as in other countries otherwise they will feel more confined in a longer series. Also I wish that things improve further in PSL 2020 in terms of movement of players as it being almost a month long tournament, players would want to do activities outside the cricket field as well.

 

[Rayyman]

Cricket coming back to Pakistan is still a novelty, and we can't take any chances right now. In the next 3-4 years when touring Pakistan comes normal like it was before I'm sure the security will be toned down a little.

True but, I hope that players feel as comfortable going out or relaxing as in other countries otherwise they will feel more confined in a longer series. Also I wish that things improve further in PSL 2020 in terms of movement of players as it being almost a month long tournament, players would want to do activities outside the cricket field as well.

Pakistan has a large gap of 3 months where between April and July there will be no cricket.

They should look to invite a team from April-June even though the weather will be hot.

3 T20Is should be enough.

New Zealand and South Africa both also have large gaps during this period. The goal should be to invite one of these two teams during that period instead of inviting The Windies for another pointless series.

 

[Professor]

Australia didn't even come when the likes of India, England and South Africa were touring regularly. So I don't think we are going to see an Australian tour any time soon.

 

[MenInG]

SYDNEY (AP)A top Pakistan Cricket Board official says his country has lost serious income and a generation of players because it couldn’t host a test match at home for a decade.

“We’ve probably lost part of a generation (of potential cricketers) because they’ve not been able to grow up watching their heroes,” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan told the Australian Associated Press. “We want players to be playing at home so our kids can be inspired to want to become cricketers, take up the game, like any other country.”

Pakistan last hosted a test match in March 2009, when a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team’s bus at Lahore left eight people dead and injured several Sri Lankan players.

Incoming tours were canceled amid security concerns, and Pakistan lost it rights as a co-host of the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

Since 2009, the United Arab Emirates has been Pakistan’s primary home away from home, but Khan said it cost the cricket board heavily to host teams at a neutral venue.

“It’s difficult to put a figure on it but it would probably run into a few hundred million (dollars),” Khan told AAP in Australia, where Pakistan will play a two-test series starting Thursday in Brisbane. “We’ve had to play in the UAE and it costs us huge amounts of money … I don’t think we can financially sustain ourselves if cricket keeps getting played in other areas.”

The PCB has long been seeking to regain the confidence of foreign teams that it’s safe to play in Pakistan.

Foreign players have visited Pakistan and played in the Pakistan Super League matches at Lahore and Karachi for the last three years.

Zimbabwe, West Indies, a World XI and Sri Lanka have also visited for limited-overs series in recent seasons and now Pakistan is set to host Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi and Karachi for the two test matches next month.

Khan said for the last two to three years there have been no terrorism incidents in any major city of Pakistan.

“Terrorism is a scourge for everybody and we’ve probably lost more people to terrorism in Pakistan than any other country, but I firmly believe that all those things are behind us now,” he said. “There’s a perception in the outside world which is not a reality of what’s going on in Pakistan.”

Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998 but Khan hoped to organize a series at home within three years. Australians Tim Paine, Ben Cutting and George Bailey played with the World XI team for three Twenty20s matches at Lahore in 2017.

“We know it all comes down to the players,” Khan said. “Players have to feel confident. They have to feel comfortable in the environment they’re coming into.”

https://www.easttexasmatters.com/sports/ceo-pakistan-loses-income-players-in-international-absence/

 

[Abdullah719]

Dean Jones: Would you play cricket in Pakistan?

Spoiler

Being an international cricketer is not as easy as you think. Sometimes players have difficult decisions to make, being asked to weigh their loyalty to their country against concerns over their personal safety.

For example, would you tour Pakistan? In the aftermath of the Christchurch tragedy, would any Muslim player be comfortable touring New Zealand? Every cricketing country in the world has had recent terrorist attacks of some sort.

Let’s talk about Pakistan. Years ago, I loved touring Pakistan. The Pakistanis just love their cricket and cricketers. They make you feel so welcome and their love for the game is intoxicating.

In the 1980s, we just flew into Lahore, played, trained and did some sightseeing, with hardly any security. Visiting local markets and enjoying the culture of Pakistan was a lot of fun.

Today, players are whisked off their international flight and placed in bullet and bomb-proof buses with army security that’s mind-boggling. Having to go through constant security and x-ray checks in airports and hotels just kills the fun of touring.

Players are cooped up in their rooms like prison cells and there is nowhere to go. The security just won’t let you out. There are only so many trivia and card nights that you can do before boredom sets in. The gym and pool becomes a burden and all you do is sit in your rooms. And that’s when the problems start.

As a head coach in the Pakistan Super League, I know that when players have too much time to themselves, they have a tendency to think too much: dwelling on how they got out or personal issues. Their minds can become their enemies.

A current theme around the cricketing world is how we can help cricketers with their mental welfare. Going to countries like Pakistan, with overwhelming security, can wear on you.

When I was in Karachi earlier this year, the Pakistan government had more than 10,000 troops protecting us. Looking at heavily armed soldiers and being surrounded by heavily armoured vehicles, with two or three helicopters hovering above you, is not something you can ignore. With this level of security, you can't help but think that we must seriously be a target to someone.

With this level of protection, the Pakistan government spends between $400,000 and $500,000 a day on security. If Australia toured Pakistan in 2020, they would probably schedule just two Tests and three T20s over three weeks - that’s a cost of nearly $10 million.

I asked Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts whether CA was happy to send players to play in the PSL and when Australia was likely to tour Pakistan next.

"We share Pakistan’s desire for international cricket to return to their country and we’re encouraged to see Sri Lanka agreeing to a two-Test series there next month," Roberts said.

"We won’t be rushing into a decision. We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with experts and evolve the discussions from my recent visit to Islamabad. First and foremost in our thinking is the safety of our players and staff.

"That said, things appear to be heading in the right direction as Pakistan’s home Test series against Sri Lanka would suggest. I hope we do return there for the sake of world cricket and Australia's important relationship with Pakistan."

Here is the kicker that I feel many of the cricket boards, past players, media and fans forget. With the levels of security, being caged in a hotel for up to one month is not fun. The fun factor is a major component for successful teams and some players will not go for just this reason alone.

Players occasionally can also shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to making their decision on whether they should tour a country such as Pakistan. During the recent PSL, many players were paid extra appearance money to play in Pakistan. I was furious over this decision, as many coaches and staff were not offered the same. It meant that these players' lives were more important than ours.

Some players said they would not go to Pakistan due to the security and potential terrorist threats and yet accepted extra money to tour when it was offered.

I am confused with their intentions or priorities. Is money now more important than their safety?

In 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by 12 terrorists, where six Pakistani police and two civilians were shot and killed. One umpire was shot twice and fortunately survived. Several Sri Lankan team members were injured.

But time does heal all wounds. Everywhere in the world, players just have to accept there will be a heavy security team with them wherever they travel. Sadly, touring is nowhere near as much fun as it used to be.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...play-cricket-in-pakistan-20191121-p53cq9.html

 

[MenInG]

HANGU: The terrorists sabotaged the grand finale of the Amn Cricket tournament at the Dradar Mamazai area in Ismailzai tehsil in the upper part of Orakzai district on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses said that a large number of spectators, including political workers and media persons had gathered at the Chanay Ground to watch the final match of the Amn Cricket tournament. They said that no sooner had the match started the terrorists opened indiscriminate firing on the playground from the nearby hills. The players, spectators and journalists, they added, saved their lives by fleeing the scene. Local leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Haji Qasim Gul, was the chief guest at the final of cricket gala. A spectator said that the firing was so intense that the organisers had no option but to end the game. All ran for cover when the firing started from the nearby hills, he added. However, no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.

Meanwhile, Orakzai District Police Officer Nisar Ahmad Khan said that there were reports about the presence of terrorists in the area and that the police along with Orakzai Scouts and Frontier Corps would now launch a joint operation against the terrorists and other criminals

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/696962-terrorists-disrupt-cricket-match-in-orakzai-with-firing