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Pakistan confident of hosting 2011 World Cup matches
The recent terror attack on the Sri Lankan players notwithstanding, PCB is confident of hosting matches of the 2011 World Cup.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: March 09, 2009 09:05 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
London:
The attack on Mahela Jayawardene's team during the Lahore Test match threatens to isolate Pakistan in international cricket, jeopardising their status as co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup.
PCB Chairman Ejaj Butt, however, sounded optimistic about international cricket's return to the trouble-torn country.
"I'd expect tours to start again as soon as possible. I'd give it six to nine months," Butt said.
"I definitely think that we will stage part of the World Cup in 2011," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Butt also made it clear that unless the Pakistan government guaranteed safety for the visitors, PCB would not invite any team in the country.
"I would want us to get security to a level that would be a guarantee from my government that no such incident like this could happen again, or I will not invite anybody," Butt said.
"Once I have this assurance I may then invite people to come here. But this can happen anywhere. I cannot give that guarantee, but my government can. If they cannot then we will not have cricket in Pakistan at all," he added.
Butt was not surprised by the anger with which ICC match officials Chris Broad, Simon Taufel and Steve Davis reacted to the inadequate security protection in Lahore and said, "I am mindful of the experience they have gone through and it is a difficult time for them.
"I guess if you or I had gone through something we might have reacted in a similar fashion and we must just understand the context and we must just allow them to settle down and be more rational in their assessment of what has transpired after a few days," he said.
Incidentally, it was ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat who had advised the ICC match officials to take time and be more rational in their assessment of the security scenario.
The recent terror attack on the Sri Lankan players notwithstanding, Pakistan Cricket Board is confident of hosting matches of the 2011 World Cup and expects to host international teams in six to nine months' time.The attack on Mahela Jayawardene's team during the Lahore Test match threatens to isolate Pakistan in international cricket, jeopardising their status as co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup.
PCB Chairman Ejaj Butt, however, sounded optimistic about international cricket's return to the trouble-torn country.
"I'd expect tours to start again as soon as possible. I'd give it six to nine months," Butt said.
"I definitely think that we will stage part of the World Cup in 2011," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Butt also made it clear that unless the Pakistan government guaranteed safety for the visitors, PCB would not invite any team in the country.
"I would want us to get security to a level that would be a guarantee from my government that no such incident like this could happen again, or I will not invite anybody," Butt said.
"Once I have this assurance I may then invite people to come here. But this can happen anywhere. I cannot give that guarantee, but my government can. If they cannot then we will not have cricket in Pakistan at all," he added.
Butt was not surprised by the anger with which ICC match officials Chris Broad, Simon Taufel and Steve Davis reacted to the inadequate security protection in Lahore and said, "I am mindful of the experience they have gone through and it is a difficult time for them.
"I guess if you or I had gone through something we might have reacted in a similar fashion and we must just understand the context and we must just allow them to settle down and be more rational in their assessment of what has transpired after a few days," he said.
Incidentally, it was ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat who had advised the ICC match officials to take time and be more rational in their assessment of the security scenario.
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