No international cricket match to be played in Pakistan, for now: Dave Richardson

KARACHI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) General Manager for operations, Dave Richardson, has made it clear that an immediate return of international cricket to Pakistan is not possible.

“Pakistan will not be deprived of any cricket… They’ll get as much cricket as anyone else. Just not at home, for now,” the Daily Times quoted Richardson, as saying.

“I think once there is an improvement in the security conditions and arrangements then teams can be convinced to start looking at playing in Pakistan again,” he said in response to a question.

Pakistan has been a no-go area for foreign teams since an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus on March 3, 2009, in which six policemen and a van driver were killed and several players wounded. Richardson, who had left Pakistan just before the attack took place, said acts of terrorism could happen anywhere in the world today, and that it was a fact of life.

“And unfortunately, when things happens at a particular time it takes time to restore the confidence. The PCB has to make it sure that cricket is safe and clean in the country. But I am not a security expert myself and I remember that on the morning of the attack on the Sri Lanka team and the day before that, I was talking to the journalists on how normal things were in Pakistan and then out of the blue this incident happened,” he recalled.

Since the attack, the PCB has been forced to stage the ‘home’ series against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa outside the country- in the United Arab Emirates or England. The ICC has also formed a Pakistan Task Team (PTT) to identify the options to help restore the international confidence in the country from the safety point of view.

“One of those options was a suggestion that perhaps the time might be right quite soon when we could persuade a select team or a world team to visit Pakistan to play a match against the national team,” said Richardson, who is also a PTT member.

He also said the PCB could benefit from talking to people like Tim May, who heads the Federation of International Cricket Association, and the New Zealand Players Association.

“We would love Pakistan to be playing international cricket tomorrow. But no matter what I say, people like Tim May or the New Zealand Players Association, they need to be convinced,” he maintained.

Richardson also dispelled the impression that the ICC was involved or interfering in Pakistan cricket, saying: “We have no say in Pakistan cricket. It is not our jurisdiction and our constitution does not allow us this.”

The ICC official is in the city on the invitation of the PCB to watch the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which is being held for the first time under lights with an orange coloured ball.

Richardson said the ICC, too, was working on several recommendations to make Test cricket more interesting.

“The PCB has taken a bold decision to hold the five-day final under lights and it will help popularise the sport as well,” he added. (ANI)