Will bring cricket back to Pakistan: Pakistan Cricket Chief

Pakistan's new cricket chief Zaka Ashraf, who replaced Ijaz Butt last month, has vowed to bring international cricket back to the country, suggesting the game's governing body could form a board to assess security before teams' tours.

 Pakistan's new cricket chief Zaka Ashraf, who replaced Ijaz Butt last month, has vowed to bring international cricket back to the country, suggesting the game's governing body could form a board to assess security before teams' tours.

Pakistan cricket lovers haven’t witnessed an international game in Pakistan since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009, which left eight people dead and seven visiting players and their assistant coach injured.

The incident, coupled with continued security fears, have constantly led to refusals by international teams to tour the troubled country, where the national army is fighting militancy and resurgence by the Taliban.

Ashraf, who’s considered to be a close friend to President Asif Zardari, said that his first task is to bring international cricket back to the country and if required, the board won’t hesitate to take government’s help regarding the security of its players.

"We are doing our level best to bring international cricket back to Pakistan," Ashraf, who met International Cricket Council (ICC) officials, told AFP. "I have suggested the ICC should form a board to assess security in Pakistan."

"What happened in Pakistan was disappointing and that left millions of fans in our country deprived of international cricket and we now seek help from the cricket world to restore activity so that our fans get to see that."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who met Ashraf on Monday, said the ICC was doing its best to revive cricket in Pakistan.

"It was something that could not get much time (for consideration) due to the spot-fixing issue, but now in order to have some teams playing in Pakistan the security situation has to be considered," said Lorgat.

Ashraf said he has also written to Indian cricket chiefs to revive what he termed the "mother of all cricket" series, a move backed by Lorgat.

"India-Pakistan is a seriously important fixture," the ICC boss said.

"It is also something which Ashraf has at the top in his mind and we will support that. We can make a request to India, it is up to India to decide where they want to play."