Home > Cricket > Reuters > Report

Pak asks India to tour next year

August 20, 2003 12:01 IST

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has welcomed the resumption of cricket tours by international teams and has called upon India to visit early next year.

PCB chief executive Rameez Raja said on Tuesday: "The Bangladesh team is here and with we have South Africa and New Zealand to follow this season. We are now optimistic about the future."

Pakistan have played just two Tests and three one-day internationals at home since the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. Series against West Indies and Australia were switched to neutral venues due to security concerns.

Pakistan host Bangladesh in the first of a three-Test series starting on Wednesday. The match, in the port city of Karachi, will be the first on Pakistani soil since May 2002 and will launch the first full series in the country since 2000.

A suicide bomb attack in Karachi in May 2002 killed 11 French naval technicians outside a hotel where the New Zealand cricket test team were staying.

They returned home the same day, halfway through a two-Test series.

"We have always maintained that security is not such a big factor in Pakistan as it is made out to be," Raja said.

"We have always been confident about hosting international teams but didn't get the required cooperation in the last two years."

Pakistan captain Rashid Latif told Reuters: "No one has liked playing home matches at neutral venues. The players are now feeling relieved getting the chance to play some international cricket in front of home crowds."

Raja said India should consider coming for a Test series early next year.

India called off a tour of Pakistan in April amid tensions over Kashmir.

The Indian cricket board is awaiting government clearance to resume bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan this year and will attempt to break the ice by sending an 'A' team to Pakistan in November for a triangular tournament.

The teams last hosted each other in a Test series four years ago.

Pakistan's last full home Test series was in late 2000 against England.


Article Tools

Email this Article

Printer-Friendly Format

Letter to the Editor



Related Stories


India's U-19 tour to Pak is off

Pakistan recall Inzamam

Latif happy with extended stint



People Who Read This Also Read


Pillay, Dhillon need rest

'Too much is made of sledging'

Paes has brain lesion





© Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.


Share your comments


 What do you think about the story?




Read what others have to say:


Number of User Comments: 5




Sub: Pak asks India to Tour next year

No way... Their should be no ties whatsoever till the cross border terrorism stops and Pak mends its ways(which is highly unlikely). And why are ...


Posted by Hindustani





Sub: hell NO

Hell no!! I don't see any logic in touring Pakistan.


Posted by prasad





Sub: scintillating contests

this is very good progress in the world of cricket as pakistan has called india for a series in pak.but they should check and make ...


Posted by jagadeesh





Sub: Ind Pak Cricket Ties

I dont see anything wrong in cricket being played between India and Pakistan. We Indians have to understand the difference between the Pakistani public and ...


Posted by Arun from NZ





Sub: India's tour of Pakistan

It's very harsh that these two cricket crazy nation has not been allowed to play each other for the past 3 years. According to me ...


Posted by santanu basak




Disclaimer







Copyright © 2003 rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved.