Pakistan cricket chief urges England to tour before 2022

Dunya News

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan has urged England to send team before their scheduled return in 2022.

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Wasim Khan has urged England to send a team to the country before their scheduled return in 2022 after Azhar Ali s side agreed to travel to Britain during the coronavirus pandemic.

England have not visited Pakistan since 2005/06. An attack by armed militants on Sri Lanka s team bus in Lahore in 2009 ended major cricket tours for a decade.

But Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh have all made the trip.

"England are due to tour in 2022, and we d love to have them coming over well before then for a shorter tour," Khan told Sky Sports on Wednesday.

"It s something that we ll speak to the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) about," he added.

Pakistan are currently playing the first Test of a three-match series at Old Trafford, which follows an England-West Indies series last month.

Both teams, among the poorer Test nations, have been praised for travelling to Britain, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Khan told a recent PCB podcast he hoped England would do the "right thing by us as well" in going ahead with their 2022 tour.


-  Getting there  -


England coach Chris Silverwood, asked if the advent of the Twenty20 Pakistan Super League, which has featured several English players, had increased the prospects of an England tour, told reporters: "I think we are getting there.

"Personally, I would have no problem with that. I ve never been to Pakistan so it would be nice to go there."

The former England paceman jokingly added: "I know our batsmen would look forward to batting on their wickets."

"For me it s great that it s back at the top of the conversation."

Meanwhile Khan was pessimistic when asked about the prospects for a resumption of the great rivalry between Pakistan and India.

Political tensions mean the neighbouring countries now rarely meet outside of International Cricket Council events and they have not played a Test series against each other since 2007/08.

The chief executive told Sky: "It s a question I get asked more than any other question from fans from both sides:  Can India and Pakistan play again? 

"It s going to be difficult, I would say, whilst the current government is in place in India.

"We ve actually got a cordial relationship with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) but they have to go to their government for permission to play against us.

"I can t see that happening any time soon."
 

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