Pakistan confident ICC will not abandon country
Sunday, 26 April 2009
DUBAI, Apr 25 (Reuters) : Pakistan has been reassured the International Cricket Council (ICC) will not abandon the country after it was stripped of its right to host matches at the 2011 World Cup because of security concerns.
Pakistan was also barred from hosting any international cricket until 2011 due to the uncertain security situation after six Sri Lanka cricketers were injured in an armed attack on the team bus as they travelled to a test match in Lahore last month.
"We did not agree on every point but I am confident the ICC is committed to making sure international cricket will flourish again in Pakistan," the country's minister of sport Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani said in an ICC statement Saturday.
Jilani met with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat on Thursday at the headquarters of cricket's world governing body to discuss the future of the sport in Pakistan following the ICC Board's decision.
Pakistan was also barred from hosting any international cricket until 2011 due to the uncertain security situation after six Sri Lanka cricketers were injured in an armed attack on the team bus as they travelled to a test match in Lahore last month.
"We did not agree on every point but I am confident the ICC is committed to making sure international cricket will flourish again in Pakistan," the country's minister of sport Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani said in an ICC statement Saturday.
Jilani met with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat on Thursday at the headquarters of cricket's world governing body to discuss the future of the sport in Pakistan following the ICC Board's decision.