RIYADH, 25 July 2005 — Pakistan cricket team returned home last night leaving a trail of disappointment over an aborted series. The team were to play three one dayers in Jeddah and Riyadh with the Lashings World XI who never arrived due to organizational blunders of the sponsors.
“We were really disappointed that we could not play any matches in the Kingdom,” Pakistan skipper Inzamam ul-Haq told Arab News. However, he said that he was delighted to see the enthusiasm of cricket fans who were anxiously anticipating those matches that never came through .
“We love to play cricket here but unfortunately this could not happen due to mismanagement of the sponsors and the misunderstandings they had with the other team. “We were able to perform our religious rites in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and we were delighted to see a good number of Pakistanis and cricket fans in Riyadh and Jeddah.”
“We will definitely come back to entertain the spectators here,” he said.
Former Pakistan cricket captain and team manager Rasheed Latif said the other side kept away since the sponsors failed to honor the agreement.
During their brief stay in the Kingdom, the visiting players performed Umrah and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
