Pakistan still unsafe for touring teams: Ex-PCB chairman

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It is still very unsafe for international cricket teams to tour Pakistan, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shahryar Mohammad Khan said on Friday.

Khan who was appointed as chief of the PCB from 2003-2006 by former president Pervez Musharraf told TOI that he "can't see any international cricket team coming to Pakistan in the foreseeable future."

He added: "It is of prime importance that cricket is revived in Pakistan. Nothing unites people as much as cricket, not even father of the nation Jinnah. From a banker to a camel cart rider, Pakistanis, like Indians, are obsessed with the game. However, security threat to international teams is a reality. If the Sri Lankan cricket team can be attacked, every other team is vulnerable."

Security fears have kept international teams away from Pakistan. Khan said: "The huge hurdle of better security climate within Pakistan has to be dealt it."

No major international cricket has been played in Pakistan since an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus by armed militants in Lahore in March 2009 left eight people dead and seven visiting players wounded.

Since the Lahore attack, Pakistan have played home matches abroad at neutral venues, mainly in the United Arab Emirates cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "To bring the confidence back, the PCB could start with hosting U-19 or U-21 tournaments," Khan said.


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