Important to support cricket in countries like Pakistan

Important to support cricket in countries like Pakistan, asserts former cricketer Kumar Sangakkara

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara will lead a team on behalf of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on a tour of Pakistan in 2020.

Although there’s no clarity on which format the match would be played, the MCC has mentioned that all of them would be staged at Aitchison College in Lahore. The London-based club further added that it’s important to support nations like Pakistan which have been devoid of International cricket for more than a decade.

“It is hugely important to support cricket in countries such as Pakistan. The PCB has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the international cricketing landscape since the tragic events of 2009,” said Sangakkara, the current President of MCC.

It was exactly 10 years ago that Pakistan cricket was hit by a shameful incident when Sri Lankan cricketers and officials were injured when terrorists opened fire on them en-route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Since then, Pakistan have been staging their home matches in the United Arab Emirates until last week when they hosted their first home match on home soil in this decade.

Guy Lavender, the chief executive of MCC said that people back in Pakistan has ‘starved’ for some quality cricket action at home but also feels that they would work out robust security plan with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the tour.

“Of course the predominant focus has been assessing the relative safety and security considerations, and we are working closely with the PCB to manage a robust security plan to ensure the tour can take place,” said the official.

PCB executive Wasim Khan believes that MCC’s approach “is further testament that Pakistan is as safe and secure a country as any other cricket-playing nation in the world.”