"Pakistan has always supported other countries [like Sri Lanka] by touring there" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

[MenInG]

"Pakistan has always supported other countries [like Sri Lanka] by touring there" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed on Friday lauded the new domestic structure being introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying it would encourage players to perform better.

"Everyone's target is to improve Pakistan's cricket. Earlier, it seemed like a few players will have to sit out [from domestic teams] but from the teams that have been formed, it looks like this will not happen and most of the players are included in [domestic] teams.

"Competition will increase and boys will work hard and invest their 100 per cent in order to make it to the provincial teams," he said.

Ahmed, who is captaining the Sindh provincial team, added that domestic teams included players who are currently representing Pakistan in international cricket as well as those who will play for the country in the future.

"I think this is a good combination; junior and senior players are playing together."

Ahmed was addressing a press conference at the National Stadium in Karachi after a training session for an upcoming match between Sindh and Balochistan teams that will be played at the UBL Sports Complex on Saturday. The game is part of the first round of matches in the four-day first-class Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

Earlier this month, the PCB had unveiled a new domestic cricket structure under which inter-club cricket of each city will form a team which will compete in the inter-city championship. The best players of the second tier will form the respective provincial teams to compete in first-class events of all three formats from which Pakistan teams will be picked.

Sri Lanka tour
In response to a question, Ahmed said that Pakistan could only request the Sri Lankan team to tour the country and added that in the last few years, foreign players had been provided foolproof security.

"Events have taken place over the past few years and there have been no security issues," he said.

He further said that Sri Lanka did not need to be reminded that Pakistan were the only team that agreed to tour the country when it was in turmoil and shunned by international teams.

"Pakistan has always supported other countries by touring. Recently, Pakistan sent its junior team to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after [the Easter bombings] took place."

Responding to a question, Ahmed said that while the PCB has made multiple efforts to revive international cricket in the country, the International Cricket Council and other cricket boards must also "support Pakistan".

Sri Lanka's cricket team is scheduled to tour Pakistan to play three ODIs and three T20I matches from September 27 to October 19. The upcoming tour is now shadowed with doubt as the Sri Lanka cricket board yesterday said it had received a terror attack warning and had been advised to “reassess the situation”.

Misbah, Waqar have always been supportive

Speaking about the appointments of former captain Misbahul Haq as head coach and Waqar Younis as bowling coach, Ahmed said that both former players had "always supported the team and will continue to do so".

He was optimistic that under the new structure, where regional team coaches will report to the chief selector, talented players will be able to make it to the national cricket team.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1504984/n...crease-competition-encourage-players-sarfaraz

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has requested International cricket council (ICC) and other cricket boards to help PCB in reviving international cricket in Pakistan.

While addressing to a news conference in Karachi, the wicket-keeper batsman said, “PCB is putting all its efforts to bring back international cricket to Pakistan but the ICC and other boards also need to support,” he said. “We have always supported other boards by visiting their countries, now it’s our time and we expect them to help us too.”

Speaking on the security situation in Pakistan, Sarfaraz praised the efforts of the armed forces and government in bringing peace to the country.

Talking about the Sri Lankan team tour to Pakistan, the skipper said he is hopeful that the Sri Lankan team would visit Pakistan for two limited-overs series despite their ten top players refused to travel citing security concerns.

“There is still hope that they would come and we should always hope for the best.”

The Sri Lankan cricket team is scheduled to tour Pakistan later this month to play three ODIs and three T20I matches from September 27 to October 19.

Sarfarz hailed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for introducing the new domestic structure, he said it would encourage players to perform better.

“Competition will increase and boys will work more hard and put their 100 per cent in order to make it to the provincial teams,” he said.

Replying to a question regarding the newly appointed head coach Misbah ul Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis, Ahmed said that both former players had always supported the team and will continue to do so.

Showing his excitement about the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy which is starting from September 14 under the new structure, the 32-years-old said it will produce talented players and a platform that will help them to make it to the national team.

https://arysports.tv/icc-other-boards-should-step-forward-revive-international-cricket-pakistan/

 

[Junaids]

Typical Sarfraz Ahmed tin ear.

None of us from foreign countries owe Pakistan anything.

The sense of entitlement is infuriating.

 

[Zahid87]

Typical Sarfraz Ahmed tin ear.

None of us from foreign countries owe Pakistan anything.

The sense of entitlement is infuriating.

For you to accuse others about a sense of entitlement...)

 

[Khan12]

Typical Sarfraz Ahmed tin ear.

None of us from foreign countries owe Pakistan anything.

The sense of entitlement is infuriating.

Lol. The irony.

 

[Junaids]

For you to accuse others about a sense of entitlement...)

Lol. The irony.

I don’t understand what you mean.

My point is that cricket is a game, not a geopolitical tool, and no player should be forced to play somewhere he feels unsafe.

 

[Titan24]

I don’t understand what you mean.

My point is that cricket is a game, not a geopolitical tool, and no player should be forced to play somewhere he feels unsafe.

While I agree its not a geopolitical tool however, humans’ natural tendency is to expect a positive gesture in response to a positive gesture. Yes there shouldnt be any expectations and one cant blame Srl players for whatever decision they make but at the same time Pak management, players and fans cant be blamed as will to have the hope of bit of support in response when it was just months ago we sent our U19 team post blasts in Srl (number of ppl lost their lives) and have supported them during the days of regular terrorism in Srl.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

He shouldn't be saying this out loud but he is right. Pakistan has always supported other countries particularly Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan. Pakistan was the first team to ever tour Bangladesh. But apart from Sri Lanka no country has ever returned the favor or shown a gesture of goodwill.

 

[mahmed]

What wrong did he tell to criticize?

 

[TalhaSyed]

He's not lying - thats for sure.

For better or for worse Pakistan did help and support the likes of Sri Lanka and Afghani cricket in their time of need.

 

[classic]

I am hopeful Sri Lankan tour will go ahead and we will be hearing positive news by early next week.

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan is not in a position to expect others to return the favor of show a gesture of goodwill, simply because there is no favor to return.

No country has ever been as dangerous to tour as Pakistan - the only country where a cricket team has been directly attacked, which is even worse than touring a country in a state of war.

Security has been a problem for Pakistan since 9/11 and bomb blasts happened in the 2000s as well, but except Australia, other teams still toured Pakistan. The perception was that terrorists would not target sporting teams, but that perception was shattered in 2009.

If the shoe was on the other foot, Pakistan would not have been keen to tour a country where terrorists tried to kill cricketers and the security was so lax that they were able to fire AK-47s and even a rocket-launcher at the team bus.

We are in no position to have a sense of entitlement. I think we should be quite thankful for the fact that several teams and players have agreed to play in Pakistan within a decade of the most horrific act of terrorism in history of cricket (if not sports).

Having said that, Pakistan has to be persistent and nag players and boards. If we leave it to them, they will never tour Pakistan and will happily play us in the luxury of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and then fly back home.

We need to continuously make efforts and try to convince teams while improving our security and image.

However, we have to do it without a sense of entitlement and the misplaced feeling that others owe us and have to return favors which we bestowed in a different context.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Yes, Pakistan didn't care about putting their players at risk, I guess is what he's trying to say.....even though there was a risk, we sent our players over there anyway because, well, who cares?

And yes even though we sent them they were never specifically targeted the way Sri Lankan players were here, were never shot at in a bus with shoddy security or anything like that. So yes, we should expect them to come here anyway despite all that. Whatta logic, great yaar.

 

[PakPremi]

Mamoon is forgetting Bangladeshi players running away from Mosque in New Zealand due to terrorist attack. Bottom line is terrorist attack can happen anywhere, even a safe and secure country such as NZ would not have been able to saveBanhldeshi players had they arrived few minutes early to the mosque. There is a big difference between 2009 and 2019 security measures in Pakistan. Go check the stats for no of attacks.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Mamoon is forgetting Bangladeshi players running away from Mosque in New Zealand due to terrorist attack. Bottom line is terrorist attack can happen anywhere, even a safe and secure country such as NZ would not have been able to saveBanhldeshi players had they arrived few minutes early to the mosque. There is a big difference between 2009 and 2019 security measures in Pakistan. Go check the stats for no of attacks.

The terrorist attack in NZ was not targeted towards the cricketers from Bangladesh. You forget this simple fact.

furthermore it was one nutjob going on a rampage against all and any muslims. The bangladeshi cricketers happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, where a previously planned attack taking place - not one targeted at them, like happened against the SL players.

 

[Ronaldo7]

Pakistan is not in a position to expect others to return the favor of show a gesture of goodwill, simply because there is no favor to return.

No country has ever been as dangerous to tour as Pakistan - the only country where a cricket team has been directly attacked, which is even worse than touring a country in a state of war.

Security has been a problem for Pakistan since 9/11 and bomb blasts happened in the 2000s as well, but except Australia, other teams still toured Pakistan. The perception was that terrorists would not target sporting teams, but that perception was shattered in 2009.

If the shoe was on the other foot, Pakistan would not have been keen to tour a country where terrorists tried to kill cricketers and the security was so lax that they were able to fire AK-47s and even a rocket-launcher at the team bus.

We are in no position to have a sense of entitlement. I think we should be quite thankful for the fact that several teams and players have agreed to play in Pakistan within a decade of the most horrific act of terrorism in history of cricket (if not sports).

Having said that, Pakistan has to be persistent and nag players and boards. If we leave it to them, they will never tour Pakistan and will happily play us in the luxury of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and then fly back home.

We need to continuously make efforts and try to convince teams while improving our security and image.

However, we have to do it without a sense of entitlement and the misplaced feeling that others owe us and have to return favors which we bestowed in a different context.

I agree with the part where you talked about about the cricketers getting attacked.
That really changed the perception.
We will have to become a second Dubai to get teams to visit us.

If that attack hadn't happened many teams would have still been visiting us

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Pakistan is not in a position to expect others to return the favor of show a gesture of goodwill, simply because there is no favor to return.

No country has ever been as dangerous to tour as Pakistan - the only country where a cricket team has been directly attacked, which is even worse than touring a country in a state of war.

Security has been a problem for Pakistan since 9/11 and bomb blasts happened in the 2000s as well, but except Australia, other teams still toured Pakistan. The perception was that terrorists would not target sporting teams, but that perception was shattered in 2009.

If the shoe was on the other foot, Pakistan would not have been keen to tour a country where terrorists tried to kill cricketers and the security was so lax that they were able to fire AK-47s and even a rocket-launcher at the team bus.

We are in no position to have a sense of entitlement. I think we should be quite thankful for the fact that several teams and players have agreed to play in Pakistan within a decade of the most horrific act of terrorism in history of cricket (if not sports).

Having said that, Pakistan has to be persistent and nag players and boards. If we leave it to them, they will never tour Pakistan and will happily play us in the luxury of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and then fly back home.

We need to continuously make efforts and try to convince teams while improving our security and image.

However, we have to do it without a sense of entitlement and the misplaced feeling that others owe us and have to return favors which we bestowed in a different context.

Sri lanka tours in the 90's

 

[Mamoon]

Sri lanka tours in the 90's

No cricket team was directly attacked in Sri Lanka in the 90’s.

 

[Mamoon]

Mamoon is forgetting Bangladeshi players running away from Mosque in New Zealand due to terrorist attack. Bottom line is terrorist attack can happen anywhere, even a safe and secure country such as NZ would not have been able to saveBanhldeshi players had they arrived few minutes early to the mosque. There is a big difference between 2009 and 2019 security measures in Pakistan. Go check the stats for no of attacks.

I am not forgetting anything. You are making a ridiculous, apples-oranges comparison. Bangladeshi players were not specifically targeted in New Zealand. They just happened to be there.

In 2001, there was a bomb blast outside New Zealand’s team hotel in Karachi. Did it stop teams from touring Pakistan? No. The likes of South Africa, India, England and even New Zealand returned to play in Pakistan.

In 2009, if the Sri Lankan team were not specifically targeted and were simply caught up in a regular terrorist attack, Pakistan would not have been isolated for 10 years and more.

 

[PakPremi]

Which specificcricket teams were targeted in SriLanka when teams except Pakistan were not touring there. Same goes for Bangladesh teams like Australia had refused to tour there. So not Apple and Oranges comparison. Terrorists can target any sporting venue or players in any country just need to have fool proof security.

 

[Mamoon]

Which specificcricket teams were targeted in SriLanka when teams except Pakistan were not touring there. Same goes for Bangladesh teams like Australia had refused to tour there. So not Apple and Oranges comparison. Terrorists can target any sporting venue or players in any country just need to have fool proof security.

It is an apple-oranges comparison because unlike in Pakistan, no cricket team was directly attacked in Sri Lanka.

Firstly, Sri Lanka already toured Pakistan in 2017 and have generally been more willing to tour Pakistan, even though they were the ones who got attacked. So they have already done us a favor.

Secondly, if Pakistan’s situation was similar to Sri Lanka’s, I am sure teams would have done us a favor.

Thirdly, if a cricket team was attacked in Sri Lanka or some other country, I am pretty sure Pakistan would not have done them any favors.

 

[Mamoon]

Which specificcricket teams were targeted in SriLanka when teams except Pakistan were not touring there. Same goes for Bangladesh teams like Australia had refused to tour there. So not Apple and Oranges comparison. Terrorists can target any sporting venue or players in any country just need to have fool proof security.

Hypothetically, they can. However, it has only happened in Pakistan so far. Hence, teams have every reason to not take our word when it comes to security measures.

For cricket to return to Pakistan, we will have to change our global perception. For the world, Pakistan remains a very dangerous country that is not safe to visit. As long as this perception remains, teams will be apprehensive regardless of our promises of presidential level security.

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] making good points

Terrorist attacks in Pakistan didn’t start in 2009. The problem was that it was specific attack on cricketers