KARACHI, 20 July 2007 — Pakistani cricket officials have initiated efforts to save their home season from falling victim to the deteriorating political situation in the country.
Publicly, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is insisting that the home series against South Africa and a visit of Australia A squad, both in September, would take place ‘smoothly’.
Privately, however, the Board officials concede that the worsening political situation in the aftermath of the Lal Masjid operation in Islamabad may have its toll on international cricket in Pakistan.
Sources told this correspondent that a PCB representative would be meeting Interior Ministry officials soon to get their input on the security arrangements for touring teams. The Board would be seeking assurances of fool-proof safety measures for visiting players and officials and would later convey it to the South African and Australian cricket boards.
South Africa are scheduled to play two Tests and five one-dayers in Pakistan in September-October. The Proteas would spend almost ten days in Karachi where they play a three-day warm-up game and a Test. They also have a one-dayer in Peshawar which is close to the tribal belt that has been jolted by a series of suicide bombings in recent times.
While South Africa has not shown any official reaction on the situation in Pakistan, Australia have already issued a travel advisory for its citizens, asking them not to travel to Pakistan.
In the past, Pakistan cricket has suffered because of political turmoil as several teams refused to play here in the aftermath of the September 11 incidents in the United States.
But PCB officials are confident that the worsening political crisis would not affect cricket in Pakistan.
“We are confident that South Africa would come to Pakistan according to schedule and the tour would go on smoothly,” PCB’s Chief Operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said on Sunday.
Naghmi said that Cricket South Africa unconditionally agreed to the tour itinerary that includes matches in Karachi and Peshawar — two venues where some visiting teams have refused to play in the past.
Recently, PCB chief Nasim Ashraf also stressed that Pakistan is a safe place for visiting teams and added that international matches in the country would go on according to program later this year.
However, much has changed since that statement as there have been a series of suicide bombings in the northern parts of the country over the last few days.
Pakistan haven’t hosted any international cricket since last fall’s series against the West Indies. South Africa’s visit is supposed to be the high point of the cricket season in Pakistan this year and the PCB cannot afford to lose the series.
Speaking on a different issue, Naghmi said that the Board’s new constitution would finally be implemented by the end of July or early next month.
He told this correspondent the Attorney General’s office did return the document of the new constitution with a few objections but the Board has returned it after making some corrections.
“We would implement the constitution as soon as possible and I believe it would be in place by the end of this month or early August,” he said.
Nasim Ashraf had promised to implement the constitution by Jan. 31 this year but later the Board claimed that its plans have been delayed because the draft of the constitution is still with the Attorney General.
The Board has been facing strong criticism from various quarters over its failure to end ‘ad-hocism’ in the PCB and the issue is set to be probed again by a Senate committee next month.
