The ground breaking announcement of the tour of Bangladesh which signals the revival of international cricket in Pakistan has been met with great enthusiasm in Pakistan. Whilst the fans are looking forward to the return of foreign teams to their soil, preparations have also begun to improve and repair the facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore which will host both LOI games.

By MenInG (April 16th, 2012)

 

The ground breaking announcement of the tour of Bangladesh which signals the revival of international cricket in Pakistan has been met with great enthusiasm in Pakistan. Whilst the fans are looking forward to the return of foreign teams to their soil, preparations have also begun to improve and repair the facilities at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore which will host both LOI games.

The Gaddafi stadium was the last venue for the ill-fated tour by the Sri Lankan team, abandoned due to a terrorist attack in March 2009. Following this unfortunate incident, no international teams have visited Pakistan. The arrival of the Bangladeshi team thus represents a significant milestone towards restoration of Pakistan’s image at an international level. This is a point not lost on the Pakistan Cricket Board who have ordered refurbishments to bring the Gaddafi stadium in line with other international stadia, with special emphasis on preparation of pitches as well as repairs and maintenance of dressing rooms and enclosures.

As the ground staff went about their business on Monday, the Head Groundsman Mr. Haji Bashir, speaking to the assembled media expressed his immense pleasure upon the announcement of the tour schedule, stating that he was happy that an international cricket team was due to visit Pakistan after a long gap of three years. Haji Bashir was optimistic that this tour would serve as a catalyst for the resumption of International cricket with other teams also opting to visit Pakistan after the Bangladesh tour.

The Bangladesh team is scheduled to play one ODI and one T20 on 29th and 30th April respectively. The remaining part of the series, as mandated by ICC’s FTP program, will be scheduled at a later point after mutual consultation.