Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shaharyar Khan, has sought a revival of relationship with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), even if it comes through low-profile tours by Bangladeshi representative teams, ESPNcricinfo reports.
Upon arrival in Dhaka on Friday, Khan took very little time to put forth his main objective: to seek Bangladesh’s assistance in reintroducing international cricket back home, Mohammad Isam writes.
Khan’s recent predecessors, particularly Zaka Ashraf, have had a complicated time with the BCB after two proposed tours by Bangladesh to Pakistan in 2012 were called off. It led to the PCB withdrawing Pakistani cricketers for the second Bangladesh Premier League in 2013, after which the players were also not allowed to play in the Dhaka Premier League where Pakistani players have been regulars since the 1980s.
Shaharyar claimed that the security situation in Pakistan had improved, and hoped to convince the BCB on the issue today, according to the ESPNcricinfo report.
“This time I have come, very simply, to renew cordial and cooperative relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan on the cricket front,” Shaharyar said.
“We have had a good relationship in the past. We will be inviting them to come to Pakistan. We understand that security situation is a hurdle in the way of your national team, or any other team, visiting Pakistan.
“But let me say, that the security situation is much, much better. Tomorrow when I meet your board I will give them some statistics that things have much improved in Pakistan. I now live in Lahore. No one feels the weight of terror attack as they did six or seven years ago. It is much less than it was before. The army has gone in to clean up things in North Waziristan. I think things are looking up.”
Shaharyar said he hoped Bangladesh’s senior side will tour but accepted that lower-profile sides might have to visit first. He wanted the BCB to send another security assessment team before taking any decision.
“Even if the national team cannot come to Pakistan for security reasons, though I would ask them to send a team to examine how things are, I want to start cricket between two countries. [It can be] at the level of A teams, Under-19s; send your schoolboys or the women’s side. We want to start at every level with Bangladesh. What could be better? They will get a very warm welcome. This is what I have come for, to revive and revitalise our relationship. I look forward to discussions with the BCB.”
Shaharyar said he is prepared to wait for the BCB to decide on a convenient time but is still ambitious enough to foresee a triangular tournament
“My expectation is that we will sit down and work out something in the future, which will start up the relationship at whatever level is convenient to Bangladesh. We are ready to respond at all levels – best would be for the national team to come to us.
“Maybe we can even have a triangular. We look to Bangladesh to help us re-enter the cricketing field in the sense that, we are no longer playing at home in Pakistan. It is a big loss. We are playing Australia in Abu Dhabi, next against India in UAE. It is second best option. Maybe you play in some cities, not in others, that is also acceptable. So we want to start the ball rolling.”
BCB vice-president Mahbubul Anam, who was at the airport to receive the PCB chief on Eid day, said that the BCB will hold all discussions today.
“We have an open agenda,” Mahbubul said. “There’s no agenda for the meeting [with the PCB]. We feel that all countries of the ICC are friendly and supportive to Bangladesh. We will work towards improvement and development of cricket. When the matter will come for discussion, we will know about it. We cannot say anything at this stage. If we can arrange a tournament which matches our schedule and benefit, then definitely.”
Source: The Daily Star
