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"Efforts underway to try and convince Aus/NZ to play some games in Pakistan": Najam Sethi

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Najam Sethi's end of year message:

"You know that the last year was good for Pakistan"

"There were a lot of achievements by the PCB and the cricketers"

"With God's help, dedication and discipline we have done well"

"We are on a winning streak and Inshallah we hope we will continue with it"

"The greatest moment in our recent history is winning the Champions Trophy"

"The first 3 wickets by Amir, Fakhar's knock and beating India in England and winning the CT - What a great day"

"Now we are on track; In T20Is we have reached number one and our graph is going up in ODIs too":

"We were successful in our initiative to return Intl cricket in Pakistan"

"When Zimbabwe came to Pakistan, some said whats the big deal as this is not a big team"

"Then we had the PSL final and we saw ICC's World XI come over to Pakistan; then Sri Lanka, the team which was involved when the problem started (of teams not visiting) also said yes and came over to Pakistan"

"And now we have agreed with the WI that they will play matches in March of this year"

"There were a lot of hurdles but I always say that if you work with dedication and work with honest then there is nothing that Pakistanis cannot achieve"

"This is the spirit with which we are running the PCB and its very satisfying when we are appreciated for this"

"We feel motivated when we get your appreciation"

"Looking ahead, we are now preparing for the 2019 World Cup"

"The immediate challenge is for our U19 team who have beaten Aus U19 2-0"

"This is not a small feat; The U19 WC will take place in NZ so this preparation is good and a great achievement"

"Then we are headed to Ireland and England to play Tests, with some games in Scotland too; this will be a good opportunity to improve out Test rankings" :

"After that Aus & NZ are coming over to play our home series in the UAE"

"Efforts underway to try and convince Aus/NZ to play some games in Pakistan"

"In between PSL3 will take place and we are making efforts to have the final in Karachi"

"We have a heavy agenda ahead of us and efforts for revival of intl cricket in Pakistan is proceeding with full steam ahead"
 
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Australia playing even one T20I will be biggest achievement since 2004 Indian Tour.

I do not think teams will have an issue once Australia tour.

Well done to Sethi for trying to get them open to discussions on this issue.
 
He has a habit of making claims like these but then to be fair, he has followed them up with actions too.
 
Had he put this much effort in reforming the cricketing structure in Pakistan that would have been far more acknowledging and would have gone a long way for the future of Pakistan cricket.

His insistence on PSL, playing India and trying to convince different countries to tour and spending millions on security etc; and on top giving each player a million to actually come over to play.

That passion would have been better served had he made significant changes and tried to improve the quality of cricket in Pakistan instead.
 
Can't blame Sethi for trying.

I don't think we're going to see teams like Aus/NZL coming to Pakistan anytime soon.

But, in saying that, he has proven us wrong a few times and let's hope he does again in this instance. As I've said in another thread, he's the best chairman we've had in the past 15 years or so.
 
Sethi saab there's something called the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy too which is rotting away under your watch.

Pakistan domestic cricket doesn't start and end with the PSL.
 
The biggest problem with Najam Sethi is that he isn't arranging A tours for upcoming youngsters. There needs to be a proper development squad like England Lions, India A and Australia A. They invest a lot in this and results are to be seen, I wish Najam Sethi could focus a bit on this.
 
While I absolutely agree that Pakistan needs a better FTP, more A and U19 tours, a better First Class tournament and more focus on the domestic circuit, there is no harm in carrying on trying to persuade other countries to visit, and to do so more often. What many of us fail to realise is that with cricket in Pakistan becoming the norm, other things will start to gradually improve on their own.

For now, even if the domestic circuit rotts as [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] said, I don't think it should be too much of a problem as long as every effort to bring cricket back home is made. Over the last year, despite a "rotting" Quaid-E-Azam trophy, we've gotten to Number 1 in the ICC Test rankings, gotten to Number 1 in the T20I rankings and won an ODI tournament two minnows short of a World Cup. So I don't think we're doing too badly.

Bringing cricket back home is what deserves most attention.
 
Najam Sethi has shown a really good accumen for foreign relations and diplomacy.. The greatest thing Nawaz government did was appoint this man for Cricketing affairs. He has been a genius in this department.

He is one of the rare breeds left in Pakistan that can atleast put his money where his mouth is and has atleast managed to make friends in foreign boards. He's been very good at convincing the ICC and the world that Cricket can come back to Pakistan.
 
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The biggest problem with Najam Sethi is that he isn't arranging A tours for upcoming youngsters. There needs to be a proper development squad like England Lions, India A and Australia A. They invest a lot in this and results are to be seen, I wish Najam Sethi could focus a bit on this.

He had zero knowledge about cricket when he joined PCB (his own assertion), and its all obvious that he runs the board like a business (he joined the cricket board for a reason afterall), investing in avenues where true long-term and short-term returns exist.

Don't expect him to give two hoots about A tours (an expense upon PCB) or domestic tournaments (another loss-making avenue)
 
If 4 years ago someone told me we would be realistic about cricket coming back to Pakistan I would've said 'mate what you smoking??'
 
Think he has a habit of making flippant comments so needs to be careful.

If Aus/NZ boards now deny any such thing, he will look silly.
 
Massive respect to Sethi Saab for all the effort he has made for Pakistan cricket. Politics aside he has delivered on what he had promised so far. Let’s not forget none of these are easy tasks.

West Indies touring in March Inshallah and if that tour goes well, personally I would look to invite South Africa. 5 of their big names toured Pakistan as part of the World XI, therefore it will be much easier to convince some of their other regulars. South Africa are a more realistic and achievable team at this moment in time.

If one of Australia or New Zealand does travel to Pakistan for one game, it will be massive for Pakistan cricket.
 
IIRC Australia stopped touring Pakistan long before other teams did and long before things went totally crazy after 9/11. When was the last time any Australian side set foot in Pakistan? Early 90s?
 
While I absolutely agree that Pakistan needs a better FTP, more A and U19 tours, a better First Class tournament and more focus on the domestic circuit, there is no harm in carrying on trying to persuade other countries to visit, and to do so more often. What many of us fail to realise is that with cricket in Pakistan becoming the norm, other things will start to gradually improve on their own.

For now, even if the domestic circuit rotts as [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] said, I don't think it should be too much of a problem as long as every effort to bring cricket back home is made. Over the last year, despite a "rotting" Quaid-E-Azam trophy, we've gotten to Number 1 in the ICC Test rankings, gotten to Number 1 in the T20I rankings and won an ODI tournament two minnows short of a World Cup. So I don't think we're doing too badly.

Bringing cricket back home is what deserves most attention.

Not at all, it should be towards the middle or even bottom of the list if it means getting teams like Australia to visit. These teams were shy when nothing happened in Pakistan, they will be the last to tour.

Sethi should focus on domestic cricket but I guess its hard work and he wont get much limelight from it.
 
India should tour Pakistan first and then announce that if a country does not tour Pakistan, India will not play with them at all. Problem solved as Pak cricket will back to as it was.
 
India should tour Pakistan first and then announce that if a country does not tour Pakistan, India will not play with them at all. Problem solved as Pak cricket will back to as it was.

And then pigs will fly.
 
If Imran Khan becomes PM, he won't even be PCB head by the time talks on the AUS/NZ series start. :yk
 
Can't blame Sethi for trying.

I don't think we're going to see teams like Aus/NZL coming to Pakistan anytime soon.

But, in saying that, he has proven us wrong a few times and let's hope he does again in this instance. As I've said in another thread, he's the best chairman we've had in the past 15 years or so.

thoroughly agree, with all my political differences apart from him, i genuinely believe he is the best cricket admin we ever had.
 
The guy has been a master stroke

- Successfully arranged the PSL and brought international cricket back to Pakistan

- Arranged for the Zimbabwe Tour, World 11 tour, the Sri Lanka T-20

- Is aggressively claiming losses from the BCCI to the tune of $70 million

- Got rid of Waqar and appointed Arthur

- Is backing selectors to bring youngsters in the team

We need atleast 10 years of PCB leadership from him as a bare minimum to counter the damage done to Pakistan Cricket from the likes of Ijaz Butt, Zaka Ashraf and co.
 
Sethi asks ex-players to shun differences for sake of cricket

LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi Monday said it was his responsibility to safeguard the interests of cricket and cricketers.

He said he respected all the cricketers and asked the ex-players to shun their differences with the board and come forward for the betterment of the game. Sethi said he wanted to take the former cricketers on board in the best possible fashion and the Board’s doors were open to all.

“I am at the service of all those who want to work for the betterment of the game and want to transfer their expertise to the youth. We will hire their services at a suitable time and venue.”

He expressed his desire to sort out the differences with the players through dialogue rather than going to courts and the money should be spent for the welfare of the cricketers instead of wasting money on legal proceedings.

He said if the board could spend money on hiring the services of the foreigners then it could do the same too to its own people.

But Sethi made it clear that the former players should also have to show the intent and do the job as the board cannot pay to some former cricketer equivalent to a coach or selector just for his namesake while he sat idle at his home.

He said that it was quite an injustice that if the board did not fulfill the wishes of some individual or persons with specific mindset, they started hurling allegations at the board.

Sethi said the PCB would take steps to safeguard the interests of the national cricket at every level. The PCB chief said his doors were open for every former player who wanted to take up responsibility practically in the field.

Sethi said the board also scrutinised the performances of former coaches and the every individual who gave performance that was evident from his results.

“I invite everyone to put aside all the differences and come forward to work together for a game that is passion of the Pakistani nation.”

Sethi said the board was fighting for the survival of the game in the country as Pakistan needed more international cricket at its home grounds.

“We were successful in revival of international cricket in Pakistan and hopefully the next year too we will be more successful in this objective.”

Sethi said he was performing his duty with just one aim and that is to serve for the Pakistan cricket and he has no personal goals or ambitions being at the helm of the affairs of the PCB.

He said he wanted run this most popular sports of the country in a professional manner and vowed to provide equal opportunities to the any talented player in any nook or corner of the country. The PCB said he wanted to strengthen the basic structure of the game and present the Pakistani talent to the world. Sethi said the success of Pakistan Super League was the success of the people of the country.

He said everyone had doubted if we could hold the PSL or could bring the international cricket to Pakistan but we achieved both these targets and it would help the Pakistan in a great way.

He said his aim and mission is only that the sons and daughters of our country get better chances to showcase their talent.

He even went on to say that he was writing new history of Pakistan cricket and securing its future.

“We were isolated in the cricketing world and now we are re-connecting to them again. The leg-pullers should refrain from their antics and instead should join us as we want to develop a strong and transparent system. I appreciate those who identify our mistakes. Today the players like Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Yasir Shah, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail and others are creating waves at international level and getting due recognition. I think it is our achievement to bring forward such a hidden talent.”

Link: https://nation.com.pk/31-Dec-2017/sethi-asks-ex-players-to-shun-differences-for-sake-of-cricket
 
From the video you can tell he simply means that they’ve started a dialogue with AUS and NZ, he hasn’t guaranteed anything and that makes sense too. It’s gonna be a process getting these teams to visit again and starting a dialogue with them is one of the first steps.
 
From the video you can tell he simply means that they’ve started a dialogue with AUS and NZ, he hasn’t guaranteed anything and that makes sense too. It’s gonna be a process getting these teams to visit again and starting a dialogue with them is one of the first steps.

It doesnt simply mean that

When the Chairman PCB makes a statement he better mean what he says, such major issues cannot be just mentioned in passing
 
It doesnt simply mean that

When the Chairman PCB makes a statement he better mean what he says, such major issues cannot be just mentioned in passing

Right, but I don't think he claimed it's gonna happen, he simply said that they're making an effort towards it. At the end of the day its the AUS and NZ boards who have to make the decision, all he can do is make his case. Although your right, he could've not included it in the video as it's a pretty tough task.
 
Not at all, it should be towards the middle or even bottom of the list if it means getting teams like Australia to visit. These teams were shy when nothing happened in Pakistan, they will be the last to tour.

Sethi should focus on domestic cricket but I guess its hard work and he wont get much limelight from it.

If you had cared to read my post, you would have clearly understood why it's justified for Sethi or the PCB to solely focus on bringing cricket back to Pakistan.

Pakistan got to Number 1 in the Test and T20I rankings and won a major ODI tournament without there being focus on the domestic structure, so I don't think we're doing too badly in that department. However, things are going to start to worsen if cricket doesn't become the norm in Pakistan by 2030.
 
If you had cared to read my post, you would have clearly understood why it's justified for Sethi or the PCB to solely focus on bringing cricket back to Pakistan.

Pakistan got to Number 1 in the Test and T20I rankings and won a major ODI tournament without there being focus on the domestic structure, so I don't think we're doing too badly in that department. However, things are going to start to worsen if cricket doesn't become the norm in Pakistan by 2030.

We have lost 5-0 against New Zealand and Australia, 2-0 against Sri Lanka and lost two test against West Indies, keep on thinking we are doing well in test cricket. QEA should be the top priority along with bringing back cricket in Pakistan, we aren't producing top quality tall fast bowlers in test cricket is because of abysmal pitches helping medium pacers like Aizaz Cheema.
 
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Getting Australia to play in Pakistan is not something CA will determine, if the PCB are to convince Australia to tour then they must convince the Australian government that it is safe for Australian players in Pakistan. Cricket wise the players. supporters and CA would like nothing more than for Australia to tour Pakistan but political constraints will hamper this for some years yet.
 
Getting Australia to play in Pakistan is not something CA will determine, if the PCB are to convince Australia to tour then they must convince the Australian government that it is safe for Australian players in Pakistan. Cricket wise the players. supporters and CA would like nothing more than for Australia to tour Pakistan but political constraints will hamper this for some years yet.

Also dont underestimate player power, they won't travel if worried about safety
 
Also dont underestimate player power, they won't travel if worried about safety

Players will always have that option, but if the Australian government give the OK for CA to send a team to Pakistan it will happen and players that do not wish to tour will be replaced by those that do want to.
 
The guy has been a master stroke

- Successfully arranged the PSL and brought international cricket back to Pakistan

- Arranged for the Zimbabwe Tour, World 11 tour, the Sri Lanka T-20

- Is aggressively claiming losses from the BCCI to the tune of $70 million

- Got rid of Waqar and appointed Arthur

- Is backing selectors to bring youngsters in the team

We need atleast 10 years of PCB leadership from him as a bare minimum to counter the damage done to Pakistan Cricket from the likes of Ijaz Butt, Zaka Ashraf and co.

Exactly!
Very well said..if he had been a foreigner our countrymen would be the first to praise him.
 
We have lost 5-0 against New Zealand and Australia, 2-0 against Sri Lanka and lost two test against West Indies, keep on thinking we are doing well in test cricket. QEA should be the top priority along with bringing back cricket in Pakistan, we aren't producing top quality tall fast bowlers in test cricket is because of abysmal pitches helping medium pacers like Aizaz Cheema.

England have one of the strongest domestic structures and yet they lost the Ashes miserably. I don't understand why people think Australia is an easy place to tour. Australia has the Sheffield Shield which is an extremely strong First Class tournament and they ARE producing top quality, tall fast bowlers YET they were whitewashed by Sri Lanka. West Indies were just humiliated in New Zealand, not even winning a single session. Heck, the same West Indies beat England in a Test IN England and County is supposed to be stronger than any First Class tournament in the world.

What is your point here? Touring away is always going to be tough. India has Ranji, which isn't too bad and now wait and watch as they get decimated in South Africa. The point is, all teams are suffering touring away, regardless of a strong domestic structure or not.

And Pakistan aren't producing 'top quality' tall fast bowlers? Yes. And there's a reason for that; genetics. Pakistanis are generally not very tall people. Europeans are. Don't understand why you fans can't understand there's a REASON behind English and Australian bowlers being so tall, their average height is far taller than ours. We should consider ourselves lucky for having the disposal of the few that we have had.

And just so you know, Shaheen S Afridi, another guy playing for LQ and some lad in the U19 team are all 6'5+ bowlers coming through the ranks. Give it some time.
 
England have one of the strongest domestic structures and yet they lost the Ashes miserably. I don't understand why people think Australia is an easy place to tour. Australia has the Sheffield Shield which is an extremely strong First Class tournament and they ARE producing top quality, tall fast bowlers YET they were whitewashed by Sri Lanka. West Indies were just humiliated in New Zealand, not even winning a single session. Heck, the same West Indies beat England in a Test IN England and County is supposed to be stronger than any First Class tournament in the world.

What is your point here? Touring away is always going to be tough. India has Ranji, which isn't too bad and now wait and watch as they get decimated in South Africa. The point is, all teams are suffering touring away, regardless of a strong domestic structure or not.

And Pakistan aren't producing 'top quality' tall fast bowlers? Yes. And there's a reason for that; genetics. Pakistanis are generally not very tall people. Europeans are. Don't understand why you fans can't understand there's a REASON behind English and Australian bowlers being so tall, their average height is far taller than ours. We should consider ourselves lucky for having the disposal of the few that we have had.

And just so you know, Shaheen S Afridi, another guy playing for LQ and some lad in the U19 team are all 6'5+ bowlers coming through the ranks. Give it some time.

Sri Lankal bowlers were vastly superior to our fast bowlers in the recent series, you are saying it's perfectly FINE :)

Guys like Hafeez who can know more about domestic cricket than you and me, has said such pitches are the reason we aren't producing fast bowlers anymore. You must have watched National T20 cup, it was a horrifying experience seeing all trundlers bowling.
 
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I can see Pakistan doing a limited series tour against NZ but only to play in UAE with this being said I can also see Pakistan arranging one T20I in Lahore but that would require alot of persuading.
 
I highly doubt it will happen but even if 1 game is played in Pakistan that's still progress
 
England have one of the strongest domestic structures and yet they lost the Ashes miserably. I don't understand why people think Australia is an easy place to tour. Australia has the Sheffield Shield which is an extremely strong First Class tournament and they ARE producing top quality, tall fast bowlers YET they were whitewashed by Sri Lanka. West Indies were just humiliated in New Zealand, not even winning a single session. Heck, the same West Indies beat England in a Test IN England and County is supposed to be stronger than any First Class tournament in the world.

What is your point here? Touring away is always going to be tough. India has Ranji, which isn't too bad and now wait and watch as they get decimated in South Africa. The point is, all teams are suffering touring away, regardless of a strong domestic structure or not.

And Pakistan aren't producing 'top quality' tall fast bowlers? Yes. And there's a reason for that; genetics. Pakistanis are generally not very tall people. Europeans are. Don't understand why you fans can't understand there's a REASON behind English and Australian bowlers being so tall, their average height is far taller than ours. We should consider ourselves lucky for having the disposal of the few that we have had.

And just so you know, Shaheen S Afridi, another guy playing for LQ and some lad in the U19 team are all 6'5+ bowlers coming through the ranks. Give it some time.

From what I've seen genetics can improve height and overall body structure with better living conditions. Just look at India over the last 20 years, they're slowly starting to rise up the height structure. Even if you look at children of Pakistani expats in America (like myself) you will see that we're taller than the average Pakistani, even many well off ones, and the reason is simple-our growth isn't stunted by less food availability.
If Pakistanis are able to eat more, you will see more who are six feet and taller because their bodies were built for it, but couldn't achieve that height otherwise because of limited diet.

As far as domestic structure, it does play a role and it shouldn't be seen as an after thought. If the grounds are full for domestic games, that will pay the bills for the grounds and allow the national administration to focus on the national team. I get the cricket isn't of the same quality as international cricket, but it will help. It will also help reinforce the perception that Pakistan is a safe place to play when locals are seen supporting domestic cricket rather than other things.
 
Someone tell this drama baaz that we have YET another LONG gap from now until our next ODI commitment in JUNE. Is this a part-time job ? To hell with your exhibition matches, organise some proper series.

More matches mean more chances to blood new players and make the necessary changes we need. After the CT and SL series we also had long gaps on the schedule - no wonder we look undercooked after these breaks.

Or in Sethi's eyes does cricket start and end with PSL and "bringing cricket home" ? I guess that's a bigger priority as you milk the credit for these vanity projects but a quietly efficient administrator working behind the scenes doesn't get as much glory.
 
Sethi vows to improve condition of big stadiums for reviving int’l cricketing in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Super League (PSL), Najam Sethi on Wednesday assured to improve condition of big stadiums in Pakistan for reviving international cricketing here.

The budget has been prepared for better condition of Peshawar and Rawalpindi stadium, he said while talking to PTV.

Efforts were being made for full functioning of Lahore and Karachi stadiums so that domestic and international cricket could be held in a befitting manner, he said.

To a question about organizing PSL final in Karachi, he said Government, Rangers and law enforcement agencies had given assurance regarding provision of foolproof security in that regard.

He said credit goes to the entire nation for successfully holding of PSL matches in this country. The Chairman said that West Indies team is coming to Pakistan for playing series, adding that the people of “city of lights” (Karachi), would witness the revival of international cricketing here.

Expressing dismay over the misreporting of some media organizations, he urged them to play constructive role so that international matches could be organized in Pakistan with full success.

To another question he said all necessary measures would be taken to make stadiums of Peshawar, Quetta, Sindh and other cities, “functional”.

Najam Sethi while expressing optimism said the cricket lovers could also watch and enjoy domestic cricket on television channels.

https://www.brecorder.com/2018/03/2...ums-for-reviving-intl-cricketing-in-pakistan/
 
Pakistan may hold a full cricket series by 2020, says Sethi

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi hope the country can host a full series by 2020, after a successful tour by the West Indies sparked hopes of an international revival.

The three-match series against the World Twenty20 champions, staged in the once militancy-wracked port city of Karachi, was accompanied by a wave of optimism, with enthusiastic fans braving heavy security checks to express their gratitude to the West Indies for the visit which ended Tuesday.

Last month Karachi also hosted the final of the popular Pakistan Super League, the biggest cricket event in the city since a 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in Lahore drove international cricket from the country.

Pakistan was forced to host its international fixtures in the United Arab Emirates. But with security dramatically improving in the last three years, the Pakistan Cricket Board has been taking “gradual steps” to bring them back, Sethi said.

“They are bearing positive results,” he told AFP.

“We will host more PSL matches next year and by that time almost all the top international players from top cricketing nations will have played in Pakistan,” he predicted.

“Then we can convince their boards to send national teams for a full series to Pakistan in 2020.” His confidence is striking, coming after so many false starts.

Sri Lanka had agreed to return in 2011, but an attack on a Karachi naval base derailed that hope. The PCB then convinced Ireland to tour in 2014, only to have the trip cancelled after militants attacked the Karachi airport.

Bangladesh also declined tours not once but twice out of unspecified security concerns, after initially agreeing in 2012.

But in 2015 the sound of the Pakistani national anthem rang out at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium once more as minnows Zimbabwe became the first international team to return.

Unprecedented security was put in place with some 30,000 policemen and military personnel on guard as spectators braved heat and security checkpoints to attend the first international match in the country in six years.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1400159/pakistan-may-hold-a-full-cricket-series-by-2020-says-sethi
 
This man is seriously way more competent than his predecessors. Ijaz Butt was the absolute worst, most of us PP'rs could have done a better job than him.
 
This man is seriously way more competent than his predecessors. Ijaz Butt was the absolute worst, most of us PP'rs could have done a better job than him.

Yes he is.At least he has something to back himself.
 
Bangladesh also declined tours not once but twice out of unspecified security concerns, after initially agreeing in 2012.
This is different from all other excuses they metioned.
 
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