So Called 'Home Series' Against Australia in England - - PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt Defended The Selection of Venue

LONDON, Nov 19 (APP)- Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board,Ijaz Butt has defended hosting ‘home series’ against Australia next summer in England saying the country is not only ideal place as such but cost effective as well.

Addressing ‘Pakistan Tour of England 2010’ press conference at the Lord’s cricket ground Wednesday evening, he said England was much better venue for Test matches in terms of facilities as compared to United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh or Malaysia which are in close proximity to Pakistan.
Responding to a question, he said UAE does not have necessary facilities for Test matches in which the pitches must be good enough to last for five days.
He said UAE is okay for hosting one-day internationals or T20 games but not Test matches and this is the main reason why England has been preferred for the ‘home series’ against Australia.
The Pakistani team will play two T20 matches and as many Test matches between July 5 and July 25 against Australia before engaging England in a four-Test series in August.
The two T20 games will be played at Birmingham on July 5 and 6 with Tests at Lord’s from July 13 to 17 and at Headingly, Leeds, from July 21 to 25.
The PCB Chief pointed out that Pakistan played New Zealand in the ODIs and T20 matches in UAE earlier this month and is currently in New Zealand for the home Test series.
‘With the current difficult situation in Pakistan, we would like our boys to have the opportunity to play in various conditions, specially the youngsters who have gained places in the national team. If they don’t get this opportunity, it is very difficult for them to improve,’ he said.
But he expressed his desire to see the international cricket come back to Pakistan as soon as possible. ‘We hope the situation improves and we have teams coming to Pakistan.’
The foreign teams stopped coming to Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in March this year. The co-hosting rights of 2011 World Cup were also taken away from Pakistan.
However, Butt said Pakistan’s domestic season continues unhindered and up to 700 matches are scheduled to be played in all formats in all the principal cities of the country barring NWFP.
He ruled out inviting any foreign clubs to Pakistan, saying that the domestic club system is working very well and that PCB is more interested in having foreign national teams visit Pakistan.
Regarding hosting ‘home series’ in Bangladesh, Butt made it clear that PCB was not happy at the last minute cancellation of Pakistan’s tour which was scheduled to take place in April this year on the security ground by the BD authorities.
‘This was s normal tour under FTP (Future Test programme) and everything was finalised when couple of days before the tour, it was called off with BD Board saying it could not guarantee security of the team,’ he said.
According to PCB Chairman, the wickets in UAE have not been tested for the Test matches but an experimentally game could be played in future to determine the nature of pitches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Responding to another question, he said the morale of the players is high even though they are not playing at home. If this had not been the case, Pakistan would not have won T20 Cup in England last summer.
Answering another question, he refuted any animosity between the Indian and Pakistan cricket boards, saying that during his recent visit to India, he held detailed talks with all the concerned people who are willing to help Pakistan cricket.
He further pointed out that the World Cup was taken away from Pakistan on security ground but if the situation improves to the satisfaction of ICC in the coming months, the Pakistan share of matches could be played on the home soil.
Chairman, ECB, Giles Clarke who was also present on the occasion, said no security advisor would advise teams to visit Pakistan currently. He said Pakistan faces many challenges and those in the World Cricket support Pakistan very much.
He said the vast majority of Pakistanis want international cricket to return to their country but only after they have taken care of those responsible for creating such a situation that has forced international cricket out of Pakistan.
‘Pakistan is a very important Test playing nation. It is important that they play Test cricket instead of only ODIs and T20. To maintain international standard you have got to play Test cricket in different places.’
The ECB Chief said with substantial Pakistani ethnic community in the UK, the series against Australia will not be considered ’a painful away fixture’ for Pakistan. “There is huge groundswell of support for Pakistan in England. A full house in Test cricket is a real test for a Test cricketer.”
Regarding issuance of visas for those Pakistanis wishing to come to UK for the matches, Clarke said it is a matter for the British Government to decide as ECB does not issue visas. “All these things are governmental issues and not cricketing authorities issues.”
He said by hosting Australia, PCB would be saving substantially in transportation charges as the Aussies would already be in England playing a five-match ODIs.
Furthermore, he said both the gate and sponsorship money in England is much more higher than in other countries.