Zaheer Abbas wants England as neutral venue for Pakistan home series

[SL_Fan]

Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas on Monday advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that England must be used as a neutral venue for Pakistan to host their home series.

Talking to media at the inauguration ceremony of the Women Cricket Academy at Government Viqar un Nisa College for Women, Rawalpindi, Zaheer said we have seen the national team’s play in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “The team’s performance is not improving playing in the UAE especially of our bowlers,” he said.

He suggested the PCB that instead of hosting our matches in the UAE we can go for England as a neutral venue. “We have got a lot of Pakistani crowd in England and playing in England would result in better performance of the team,” he said.

He also urged PCB to take inputs from local former cricketers in order to bring improvement in the game of cricket. Responding to a question regarding the PCB to host a round table conference next month, Zaheer said if the inputs given by the cricketers in the round table conference are implemented then cricket will surely improve.

Returning to the inauguration ceremony of the Women Cricket Academy, Zaheer said he was very happy to see the sports spirit in the Viqar un Nisa College. He also praised the Sport Board Punjab for supporting the youth especially women in the field of sports.

“Hopefully we will soon be seeing players making it from Viqarun Nisa College to the national women’s team,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said Zaheer Abbas is a great name of our country and every cricketer wants to be like him.

“We are working under the vision of Chief Minister Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to develop sports facilities,” he said. He said we will also be laying the first blue astro-turf at Viqar un Nisa College. “Sports grounds for Hockey, Cricket, synthetic football grounds and others sports are also being developed,” he said.

“Our main agenda is promotion of sports in the province and we will utilize all recourses and energies to complete the development plans as soon as possible.”

He said Chief Minister Punjab will also be inaugurating a project on March 23 in Lahore. “No other province can compete with us by means of the record development work being done in the Punjab province,” he said.

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[Hitman]

England did offer to host Pak's home matches on their soil. Only for Ijaz Butt to accuse the English team of match fixing.

 

[MRSN]

Pitches are dreadful in UAE. If they can't be improved they should move to another venue.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Anything but the UAE. England would be great

 

[zn426]

I would agree. Seeing the crowds there this past summer shows that there's an excellent base for cricket in England. Plus the UK is easy to get to from most places.

 

[Misia]

As long as the Pak team is in UK 2/3wks befor the 1st fixture to give them ample time with handfull practice matches vs english county teams would be very good idea (conditions and revenue )even if matches are against minor county's

 

[hadi123]

Would be good because there a lot of Pakistanis here but rain would affect many matches

 

[The_Odd_One]

UAE is the worst place to play cricket. I would rather take a nap than watch a test match in the UAE.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Logistics and travelling is expensive.. Distance is a major issue here when moving out of UAE

 

[hitthestump]

They talked about this as soon as the Sri Lankan tragedy happened in 2009 and it was a real possibility. Then Salman Butt and co did what they did and this was further compounded when the hilariously incompetent Ijaz Butt decided to publicly accuse England of throwing an ODI. That was that, as far as the possibility of playing in England went and we've been stuck in the UAE since. Not sure why they'd be up for doing us a favour now when we blew relations so badly in 2010.

 

[nighthawk23]

The PCB won't agree to it since the spinners would get sprayed in England.

 

[MRSN]

They talked about this as soon as the Sri Lankan tragedy happened in 2009 and it was a real possibility. Then Salman Butt and co did what they did and this was further compounded when the hilariously incompetent Ijaz Butt decided to publicly accuse England of throwing an ODI. That was that, as far as the possibility of playing in England went and we've been stuck in the UAE since. Not sure why they'd be up for doing us a favour now when we blew relations so badly in 2010.

Ijaz Butt was the biggest tragedy happened to Pakistan cricket. From destroying relationships with ECB at critical times to sacking Afridi and appointing Misbah..the list goes on for his blunders.

 

[Hitman]

Not to mention Ijaz Butt giving a statement merely hours after the Sri Lankan team attack along the lines like, 'We'd still like to host teams/games'

 

[hitthestump]

Ijaz Butt was the biggest tragedy happened to Pakistan cricket. From destroying relationships with ECB at critical times to sacking Afridi and appointing Misbah..the list goes on for his blunders.

Remember when he accused Chris Broad of lying about the details of the attack, then went on to say there had been no security failure because no players had died.

If Ijaz Butt never happened half the negative threads on PakPassion wouldn't even exist.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

England would be a disaster for Pakistan. Back then they had a decent team, so they could pull off a draw vs side like Australia. Imagine Pak vs WI or Pak vs SA in England. You'd lose your home advantage.

I don't buy that playing in England will make your players better, you can't use your national team for development of players and what is the guarantee that they will develop quickly anyway, till you reach the bottom of the rankings?

Sri Lanka will be your ideal neutral venue till cricket resumes in Pak. It offers assistance for pacers but generally aides spinners.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

England would be a disaster for Pakistan. Back then they had a decent team, so they could pull off a draw vs side like Australia. Imagine Pak vs WI or Pak vs SA in England. You'd lose your home advantage.

I don't buy that playing in England will make your players better, you can't use your national team for development of players and what is the guarantee that they will develop quickly anyway, till you reach the bottom of the rankings?

Sri Lanka will be your ideal neutral venue till cricket resumes in Pak. It offers assistance for pacers but generally aides spinners.

Pakistan is building a team for overseas conditions. We are fed up with rank turners and spinners and phattas.

We want to produce swashbuckling fast bowling all rounders, fast bowlers and batters who can play bounce.

 

[silent ischemia]

Well the Asian Bradman was in Rawalpindi today and infact he did come to my hospital; Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology where I had the honour of meeting him as well. I had a brief chat with him; 10-15 minutes and discussed what plans he had in mind for the development of the game in the country. A very polite, humble and lovely person; Zaheer

 

[Asim2Good]

Not suitable for Pak team to play home series in England
UAE is good for us for home series

 

[Cricfan4eva]

Pakistan is building a team for overseas conditions. We are fed up with rank turners and spinners and phattas.

We want to produce swashbuckling fast bowling all rounders, fast bowlers and batters who can play bounce.

You don't build team for overseas by playing tests overseas. Wanna know how Australia and England are preparing for future tours in Asia? By even sending their u19 teams for tests here. Thats how you prepare lol, not hosting your home games in those conditions.

Then you need to make those pitches at home for domestic circuit and play A tours in those conditions with players who can still develop.

You think someone like Hamad Azam can develop into a serious A/R like Stokes by playing a couple of series in England?

I am sorry but you need talent for that and also develop skill in your early years with good u19 programme and consistent away A-tours.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

You don't build team for overseas by playing tests overseas. Wanna know how Australia and England are preparing for future tours in Asia? By even sending their u19 teams for tests here. Thats how you prepare lol, not hosting your home games in those conditions.

Then you need to make those pitches at home for domestic circuit and play A tours in those conditions with players who can still develop.

You think someone like Hamad Azam can develop into a serious A/R like Stokes by playing a couple of series in England?

I am sorry but you need talent for that and also develop skill in your early years with good u19 programme and consistent away A-tours.

The pitches are being relaid in Pak to mirror fast bouncy pitches from overseas.

Watching Hafeez opening the bowling in the last ODIs in OZ physically made me sick as Im sure it did to others watching.

Inzamam has said enough of turners and low bounce and spinners. We are going to change the entire culture of our cricket.

 

[Big Mac]

England just received the phainty of a lifetime in India.

Maybe they should start playing home games in the UAE because playing in England is clearly harming their cricket.

 

[Hamza_]

England would be a disaster for Pakistan. Back then they had a decent team, so they could pull off a draw vs side like Australia. Imagine Pak vs WI or Pak vs SA in England. You'd lose your home advantage.

I don't buy that playing in England will make your players better, you can't use your national team for development of players and what is the guarantee that they will develop quickly anyway, till you reach the bottom of the rankings?

Sri Lanka will be your ideal neutral venue till cricket resumes in Pak. It offers assistance for pacers but generally aides spinners.

Some very fair comments. Particularly interesting comment on Sri Lanka is home.

 

[Big Mac]

Pakistan is building a team for overseas conditions. We are fed up with rank turners and spinners and phattas.

If that's the plan then it won't be long until we're neck and neck with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the test rankings.

 

[MMHS]

The pitches are being relaid in Pak to mirror fast bouncy pitches from overseas.

Watching Hafeez opening the bowling in the last ODIs in OZ physically made me sick as Im sure it did to others watching.

Inzamam has said enough of turners and low bounce and spinners. We are going to change the entire culture of our cricket.

I'll wait till I see - normally, what PCB & it's people say, they do opposite. Last time I can recall, Intekhab Alam threatened SRL with "fast & bouncy" wickets in 2009 - then Karachi & Lahore Test ended with scores like 650/6d, 765/5d, 170/4 - 644, 115/0 ...... (I went to BD for few days that time & "catered" my tour schedule in a way that I am at home from Jan 21 to 26 - still regret for those 5 days of Karachi Test ...)

Before that, IND came in 2006 & Shahriar Khan said that they are aware of Sohaib in PAK attack - Lahore Test produced scores like 678/6d & 413/1 d. .................... Shahriar later said that due to cold weather, they couldn't prepare the wickets & it became over prepared .........

When incompetent people try to do something that's beyond their level, often things backfire.

 

[Big Mac]

India get battered away from home - "India aao, phir dekhinge"

England get battered away from home - "Indian pitches help Kohli too much, remember what happened in England?"

Pakistan get battered away from 'home' - "We have to play somewhere else, we win too many tests in the UAE!"

 

[cricketInsight]

Pakistan A team or our youngsters should play more cricket in England but we can't lose our home advantage (spin and batting friendly conditions) by playing in England.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Pakistan A team or our youngsters should play more cricket in England but we can't lose our home advantage (spin and batting friendly conditions) by playing in England.

We will never win overseas and become a true No 1 team. You think India test ranking has any weight? Back to back run of test series in India and refusal to play Pakistan. They are fake no.1. We can't be like them we have to think bigger.

The moment our pitches mirror overseas pitches our players will adapt and we have the bowling heritage to exploit these pitches and we will become the first South Asian test nation to dominate overseas.

 

[Big Mac]

We will never win overseas and become a true No 1 team. You think India test ranking has any weight? Back to back run of test series in India and refusal to play Pakistan. They are fake no.1. We can't be like them we have to think bigger.

The moment our pitches mirror overseas pitches our players will adapt and we have the bowling heritage to exploit these pitches and we will become the first South Asian test nation to dominate overseas.

By this logic the only true No. 1 team in the last decade is the Saffers.

 

[cricketInsight]

We will never win overseas and become a true No 1 team. You think India test ranking has any weight? Back to back run of test series in India and refusal to play Pakistan. They are fake no.1. We can't be like them we have to think bigger.

The moment our pitches mirror overseas pitches our players will adapt and we have the bowling heritage to exploit these pitches and we will become the first South Asian test nation to dominate overseas.

In general the quality of cricket will improve if visitors can play better test cricket. However, I wont want that at the expense of losing home condition environment by making test cricket more bland. I like the diversity of test cricket where cricket is played on bouncy, green, turners, and sometime dustbowl pitches.

Spin in home conditions has been our advantage and our batsmen thrive on low bouncy pitches that do not offer a lot of swing. I want to keep that but yet try to improve in conditions where we dont do as well by more foreign tours of our young teams and creating those foreign conditions in some of our domestic cricket grounds.

 

[Saj]

Decent idea by Z but after the events of 2010 I'm not sure how keen the ECB will be on this idea.

The ECB suffered huge losses in 2010when they hosted Pakistan's series against Australia.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

We will never win overseas and become a true No 1 team. You think India test ranking has any weight? Back to back run of test series in India and refusal to play Pakistan. They are fake no.1. We can't be like them we have to think bigger.

The moment our pitches mirror overseas pitches our players will adapt and we have the bowling heritage to exploit these pitches and we will become the first South Asian test nation to dominate overseas.

Lets say you master English conditions, how will you counter for Australian conditions? Maybe shift home to Australia after you win a series in England? and then SA, NZ and so on...

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Pakistan should send Ijaz Butt to England as an ambassador of the PCB to negotiate this. Wajid Shamsul Hasan can assist him.

Back in the real world why would you throw away your home advantage and actually play to the strengths of your opposition by making a move like this? And what would you do outside the months of June-September?

 

[PakLFC]

As good an idea it is the PCB will never follow it up. They don't know how to negotiate such things with the UAE their comfort zone now.

 

[Mamoon]

You do not 'produce' players in international cricket and nor can you afford to lose matches so that your players can 'adapt'. International cricket is all about results, and our results will suffer if we start playing home matches outside Asia.

We will not be able to beat teams like England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc. consistently. Yes we drew 2-2 in England but it was a one-off. 9/10 times England will beat us overseas.

UAE pitches are dreadful and they are clearly harming our cricket, but the domestic pitches are harming our cricket even more.

Players are produced in domestic cricket and as long as we don't produce fast, bouncy pitches, we will continue to produce strokeless wonders with the bat and chuckers and darters with the ball, along with a few unskilled trundlers.

It's a long process which will take years. Perhaps decades. The culture of Pakistan cricket needs to change and simply shifting the venue from UAE to England will not solve any problem as long we don't change our cricketing culture back home.

Anyhow, we have been talking about this for years and years and will continue to talk about it in the future to no avail. Nothing is going to happen.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Ijaz Butt has long gone with relations improving between Pak and Eng. Last summer showed Pakistan in good light.

I don't think every series would be a success but many can be.

Pak should have 3 venues, the Oval, Edgbaston and Headingly/Old Trafford. They should play teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and England, the crowds will be pretty decent.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

You do not 'produce' players in international cricket and nor can you afford to lose matches so that your players can 'adapt'. International cricket is all about results, and our results will suffer if we start playing home matches outside Asia.

We will not be able to beat teams like England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc. consistently. Yes we drew 2-2 in England but it was a one-off. 9/10 times England will beat us overseas.

UAE pitches are dreadful and they are clearly harming our cricket, but the domestic pitches are harming our cricket even more.

Players are produced in domestic cricket and as long as we don't produce fast, bouncy pitches, we will continue to produce strokeless wonders with the bat and chuckers and darters with the ball, along with a few unskilled trundlers.

It's a long process which will take years. Perhaps decades. The culture of Pakistan cricket needs to change and simply shifting the venue from UAE to England will not solve any problem as long we don't change our cricketing culture back home.

Anyhow, we have been talking about this for years and years and will continue to talk about it in the future to no avail. Nothing is going to happen.

You are totally right. The pitches in the domestic scene need to change for any impact on our international cricket.

PCB have been saying for 15 years they will produce good pitches but yet to deliver. Even if we had 3 top quality fast and bouncy wickets in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad that would do. The rest of the venues can be varied.

Point I was making is that playing in UAE is becoming financial suicide and is harming our player development. The A team and U19 teams should be playing on fast bouncy wickets not these embarrassing UAE pitches. The curator should be sacked. At least playing in England would open a door for U19 and A teams to regularly play in English conditions.

The long term solution is to bring cricket back to Pakistan and have 3 international grade stadia. But in the mean time we need to move away from UAE asap.

 

[MMHS]

Pakistan should send Ijaz Butt to England as an ambassador of the PCB to negotiate this. Wajid Shamsul Hasan can assist him.

Back in the real world why would you throw away your home advantage and actually play to the strengths of your opposition by making a move like this? And what would you do outside the months of June-September?

It's actually a better idea, in terms of prolonging the season - PCB will get almost whole year to host home matches if they keep both options open. It'll help them to schedule some additional bilateral during Asian off season. Cricket season is skewed in Asian winter period - from OCT to April, every major team is extremely packed & there is at least 10 weeks of window required in that time for PLs/SLs. PAK can arrange quite few numbers of bilateral series outside FTP with SRL, BD, WI, NZ, even AUS, SAF, as it's their off season. ECB will be more than happy if they can arrange a triangular with their regular tourist & PAK in a revenue share model. In that regard, Canada is also a fantastic venue - best time to play cricket here in GTA is June to August - hot & wet period in South Asia.

Regarding home advantage, I am not sure if UAE is blessing or curse. PAK losing 0-3 in AUS & winning 2-0 at home - and it was 1-1 in UK. It's 1-1 in UAE & 0-2 & 0-3 in NZ & SAF while 1-1 in UAE & 2-1 in SRL, before that it was 0-2 ................. even it ended 1-1 in WI & Mugabe's Zimbok; therefore I am not sure what home advantage we are talking about. May be, in short term it looks shining, but replacing UAE dross with UK probably will balance it out in a 5/6 years period, because it'll definitely improve those 0-2s & 0-3s in AUS, SAF & NZ. At least, Vetory & Chatara won't make it 1-1 in Mugabe land.

Also, this is first round - teams have come to UAE, spent couple of days sight seeing in Dubai Marina & then by the end of 2nd week, they are 0-1/2 down - Misbah's toss fortune also has helped the course. Even Irish board is at least twice smarter than PCB - when next round starts, I can categorically say that every team will tour UAE with far, far better preparation - if required, they'll play couple of Tests in SRL/Bangladesh/Afghanistan (India), hence you'll see PAK not so much enjoying "homely" condition in UAE in next round; because by the traits & skill set, UAE is the worst place for a team like PAK. It's Misbah's adopted philosophy that seems working in UAE, but it has made PAK team to someone like me who is watching this game as a neutral fan for many, many years like a peacock trying to become a crow by plucking out all it's feathers.

2 seasons & 8-10 Test in UK with adequate preparation against County sides (or PAK A side) - if the fortune of PAK cricket doesn't change, I'll stop writing a single word not only on cricket, but in any sports forum.

 

[Thivagar]

Pakistan should take turns playing in England, Australia, UAE, Kuwait and even couple of T20 series in Canada and US time to time. You'll get good crowds, players will be more pumped and moolah will still flow.

 

[Convict]

Decent idea by Z but after the events of 2010 I'm not sure how keen the ECB will be on this idea.

The ECB suffered huge losses in 2010when they hosted Pakistan's series against Australia.

To be fair that is because they drastically overestimated the number of Australians who will attend.

The number of Australians living in England isn't actually that high and unlike the Ashes people aren't going to fly all the way to England to watch Pakistan v Australia

 

[Sub-Zero]

Pakistan should try and play against weaker sides first and then see how things are progressing, maybe Sri Lanka and Bangladesh series

 

[msb314]

England did offer to host Pak's home matches on their soil. Only for Ijaz Butt to accuse the English team of match fixing.

They talked about this as soon as the Sri Lankan tragedy happened in 2009 and it was a real possibility. Then Salman Butt and co did what they did and this was further compounded when the hilariously incompetent Ijaz Butt decided to publicly accuse England of throwing an ODI. That was that, as far as the possibility of playing in England went and we've been stuck in the UAE since. Not sure why they'd be up for doing us a favour now when we blew relations so badly in 2010.

Ijaz Butt was the biggest tragedy happened to Pakistan cricket. From destroying relationships with ECB at critical times to sacking Afridi and appointing Misbah..the list goes on for his blunders.

Decent idea by Z but after the events of 2010 I'm not sure how keen the ECB will be on this idea.

The ECB suffered huge losses in 2010when they hosted Pakistan's series against Australia.

That incident was more than 6 years ago.

Since then England toured us twice in 2012 and 2015 and we had a very successful tour of England ourselves in 2016.

I highly doubt those Ijaz butt comments will be an issue if we wished to pursue playing in England as an option

 

[khurram39]

Are we loosing in UAE if not then why? Does he want Pakistan not to win home games too. Don't understand the idea behind this. Almost all teams win their home series and lost their away even current #1 indian team too. South Africa and England lost their recent series in india. Atleast we are also winning in home series.

Try other things to improve the performance but this idea is not the right one. We will start loosing in home series too.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

After River Plate & Boca Juniors' Copa de Libertadores final in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu: PCB should make a push and move Pakistani cricket towards England.

ICC and ECB should facilitate Pakistan!