After 17-year hiatus
England team’s tour- Full revival of int’l cricket in Pakistan: Mazari
ISLAMABAD
England’s 19-member cricket team led by Jos Buttler will arrive in Karachi on Thursday morning to play a series of seven T20 International matches against Pakistan.
In the first phase of the cricket series between the two countries, the opening four T20 matches will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Strict security arrangements have been made for the arrival of the visiting team via Dubai.
After their arrival, England captain Jos Buttler will hold a press conference at a local hotel.
The first four matches of the series will be played on September 20, 22, 23 and 25 at the National Stadium, while the last three matches are scheduled on September 28, 30 and October 2 respectively at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board named Moeen Ali as the vice-captain of the 19-man squad led by Jos Buttler, who was recovering from a calf injury, while other players include Harry Brooke, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, David Mullan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ollie Stone, Rhys Topley, David Wiley, Chris Woakes, Luke Wood and Mark Wood.
It is pertinent to mention here that along with the visiting cricket team, the English board officials, security personnel, around a dozen media representatives and commentators are also arriving in Pakistan to witness this bilateral series.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, who was excited for England team touring Pakistan for almost after 17 years, sees the tour as a full revival of international cricket in the country.
“It is sending a softer image of Pakistan to the world that the situation in our country is stable and there was no security threat at all. When I was in Brimgham for the Commonwealth Games I met their minister and thanked him also for sending their team here,” he told APP.
Mazari said their minister also asked him on he thinks would win the T20I series, to which he replied Pakistan. “Currently Pakistan team is doing very well in the game and our captain Babar Azam was very talented and I hope that Pakistan performs well.
This is good news for Pakistani fans that international cricket was fully reviving in the country. I also term Pakistan team as favourities for the upcoming Twenty20 Men’s Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia this year.
The England team would arrive in Karachi on Thursday, (September 15), for a seven-match T20Is series. The National Stadium would host matches on September 20, 22, 23 and 25. The remaining games would be held in Lahore, on September 28 and 30, and October 2 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
It may be mentioned that Pakistan team ended up as runner-ups of the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On Pakistan to host the South Asian Games next year, he said Pakistan Sports Complex was going through renovation work and he was hopeful and positive that Pakistan would be hosting the games with a bang.
“All the facilities will be as per international standards for the Games. My personal advice is to host the Games in Islamabad as it was the federal capital but it will be decided in the board meeting,” he said.
“A total of 250 sports complexes will be given all over Pakistan to improve other games so that our youngsters can indulge their minds in healthy sports activities,” he said.
The minister was of the view that though cricket was a popular game in Pakistan but people were now noticing other games as well. “Just like Arshad Nadeem won laurels for the country in javelin throw (athletics) thus making people notice athletics,” he said.
Speaking about the Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) affairs, Mazari said the FIFA Normalization Committee was working on PFF elections.
