The on-again, off-again Zimbabwe cricket team's tour of Pakistan seems to be on – at least for now, as tickets went on sale on Saturday, seemingly putting to rest the uncertainty over next week’s cricket series against Zimbabwe, days after a major militant attack put the visit, the first by a Test-playing nation in six years, in doubt.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said on Friday that Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan was on track. “Zimbabwe cricket chairman Wilson Manase called me three times to reaffirm that Zimbabwe would be touring Pakistan as per schedule,” Khan told reporters. “He also said that they will send this in writing".
The Zimbabwean team is due to arrive in Lahore on Tuesday, May 19. The first T20 match between the two nations is scheduled for Friday, May 22. Hundreds of Pakistani policemen featured in a dress rehearsal on Saturday to provide security to the visiting Zimbabwe cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore.
Sixteen minutes of chaos
The Zimbabwe security delegation had on May 6 cleared the tour but its fate suddenly seemed uncertain after the May 13 attack when eight attackers opened fire inside a bus in Karachi that was carrying members of the Ismaili community, killing at least 43 people.
Confusion reigned late on May 14 when Zimbabwe Cricket endured a rollercoaster sixteen minutes as Zimbabwe Cricket released a statement saying that a decision had been reached to not tour Pakistan on the advice of the country’s supreme sports regulatory authority, the Sports and Recreation Commission.
"We have consulted on the security situation in Pakistan with particular reference to your intended cricket tour of the country and have been advised that it would not be safe for the team to travel to Pakistan at this point in time", wrote SRC director-general Retired Colonel Charles Nhemachena to ZC chief executive officer Wilfred Mukondiwa".
Within minutes, though, the spokesperson for Zimbabwe Cricket, Lovemore Banda, confirmed that discussions were still ongoing with the Pakistan Cricket Board. “At this time the tour has not been suspended. The executive and board of Zimbabwe Cricket are still in discussions", Banda said.
What confounded the confusion was that in between Khan had told Reuters that Zimbabwe had cancelled the tour following the May 13 bus attack. "The Zimbabwe cricket board has called us and cancelled their tour owing to security reasons and the killings of minorities in Karachi yesterday”.
Subhan Ahmad, PCB's Chief Operating Officer later told Press Trust of India that they had never received any information from Zimbabwe Cricket that the tour had been cancelled.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Pakistan is pulling out all the stops as far as security goes. "It has since been reported that Zimbabwe would stay at the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel. The Pakistan Cricket Board was reportedly going to spend US $500,000 on safety measures which included helicopter-monitored travel and 3,500 guards".
Pakistani fans have been cricket starved for the past six years and the Zimbabwean cricket team haven’t played any top opposition in the same period.
Looking beyond
In the meanwhile, PCB has invited Bangladesh for a home series. Khan told the PTI upon his return to Pakistan that he was optimistic of more teams touring the country in the near future.
“We have invited the Bangladesh board to send their team and they have showed positive intent. I had positive discussions with their officials in Dhaka”. He added that he had told Bangladesh to send their women’s team and under-19 team as well. “Their women's team tour could materialise as early as August”.
But none of these are done deals yet. With India reluctant to play Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in December of this year due to broadcast issues, the Indian Premier League is setting its sight on the country. With the shutting down of the Champions League T20 (due to lack of interest), the IPL is setting up a mini-IPL to be hosted in UAE. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s latest venture is slated to include the top four IPL teams that make it to the playoffs in the same season that year. They will then play in a league plus knockout fashion.
The buzz of a mini-IPL in the UAE region is set to create ripples among the cricket fraternity. For the past six years – since the Sri Lankan bus attack in Pakistan – the region has been Pakistan’s second home. With news that the BCCI and India want to host a tournament, the stadium usage won’t be up to Pakistan’s schedule, as the BCCI has a bigger clout in international cricket because of its sheer money power.
With the entry of a "permanent" IPL in UAE, Pakistan have one more issue to deal with. Security issues in their home country, no Pakistani players in the IPL, and now an IPL in their second home.
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Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said on Friday that Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan was on track. “Zimbabwe cricket chairman Wilson Manase called me three times to reaffirm that Zimbabwe would be touring Pakistan as per schedule,” Khan told reporters. “He also said that they will send this in writing".
The Zimbabwean team is due to arrive in Lahore on Tuesday, May 19. The first T20 match between the two nations is scheduled for Friday, May 22. Hundreds of Pakistani policemen featured in a dress rehearsal on Saturday to provide security to the visiting Zimbabwe cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore.
Sixteen minutes of chaos
The Zimbabwe security delegation had on May 6 cleared the tour but its fate suddenly seemed uncertain after the May 13 attack when eight attackers opened fire inside a bus in Karachi that was carrying members of the Ismaili community, killing at least 43 people.
Confusion reigned late on May 14 when Zimbabwe Cricket endured a rollercoaster sixteen minutes as Zimbabwe Cricket released a statement saying that a decision had been reached to not tour Pakistan on the advice of the country’s supreme sports regulatory authority, the Sports and Recreation Commission.
"We have consulted on the security situation in Pakistan with particular reference to your intended cricket tour of the country and have been advised that it would not be safe for the team to travel to Pakistan at this point in time", wrote SRC director-general Retired Colonel Charles Nhemachena to ZC chief executive officer Wilfred Mukondiwa".
Within minutes, though, the spokesperson for Zimbabwe Cricket, Lovemore Banda, confirmed that discussions were still ongoing with the Pakistan Cricket Board. “At this time the tour has not been suspended. The executive and board of Zimbabwe Cricket are still in discussions", Banda said.
What confounded the confusion was that in between Khan had told Reuters that Zimbabwe had cancelled the tour following the May 13 bus attack. "The Zimbabwe cricket board has called us and cancelled their tour owing to security reasons and the killings of minorities in Karachi yesterday”.
Subhan Ahmad, PCB's Chief Operating Officer later told Press Trust of India that they had never received any information from Zimbabwe Cricket that the tour had been cancelled.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Pakistan is pulling out all the stops as far as security goes. "It has since been reported that Zimbabwe would stay at the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel. The Pakistan Cricket Board was reportedly going to spend US $500,000 on safety measures which included helicopter-monitored travel and 3,500 guards".
Pakistani fans have been cricket starved for the past six years and the Zimbabwean cricket team haven’t played any top opposition in the same period.
Looking beyond
In the meanwhile, PCB has invited Bangladesh for a home series. Khan told the PTI upon his return to Pakistan that he was optimistic of more teams touring the country in the near future.
“We have invited the Bangladesh board to send their team and they have showed positive intent. I had positive discussions with their officials in Dhaka”. He added that he had told Bangladesh to send their women’s team and under-19 team as well. “Their women's team tour could materialise as early as August”.
But none of these are done deals yet. With India reluctant to play Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in December of this year due to broadcast issues, the Indian Premier League is setting its sight on the country. With the shutting down of the Champions League T20 (due to lack of interest), the IPL is setting up a mini-IPL to be hosted in UAE. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s latest venture is slated to include the top four IPL teams that make it to the playoffs in the same season that year. They will then play in a league plus knockout fashion.
The buzz of a mini-IPL in the UAE region is set to create ripples among the cricket fraternity. For the past six years – since the Sri Lankan bus attack in Pakistan – the region has been Pakistan’s second home. With news that the BCCI and India want to host a tournament, the stadium usage won’t be up to Pakistan’s schedule, as the BCCI has a bigger clout in international cricket because of its sheer money power.
With the entry of a "permanent" IPL in UAE, Pakistan have one more issue to deal with. Security issues in their home country, no Pakistani players in the IPL, and now an IPL in their second home.