Bangladesh and Peshawar Zalmi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has said he would like to play in Pakistan once the security situation improves in the country.
The all-rounder, who is currently plying his trade in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which is being played in the UAE, further said that the T20 league would have garnered much more success if it was held in Pakistan.
No top Test team has visited Pakistan since March 2009 when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. Zimbabwe played a short limited-overs series in Lahore in May 2015 but big teams are still reluctant to visit the country which has resulted in huge revenue losses for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Consequently, the PCB is desperate to bring international cricket back to the country and hosting this year’s PSL final in Lahore was seen as a big step towards that. However, the recent militant attacks have thrown huge doubts over the PCB’s plans of staging the PSL final in Lahore and speculations are rife that the title-decider will be played in UAE too.
“I last played in Pakistan in 2008; it was an amazing experience for me,” he told The Express Tribune. “The crowd, the ground, the environment, the fans and the atmosphere were all fabulous. I really wish to play again in Pakistan once things get better.”
“If the PSL was held In Pakistan, then it would have garnered much more passion and excitement than it has here in the UAE. Right now the situation is a bit difficult back in Pakistan but I hope someday this all will get better and Pakistan will start hosting international tournaments and series again,” he added.
The 29-year old, while hailing the environment of the league, said that the quality of cricket in Pakistan’s showpiece T20 tournament is on par with the other big leagues around the world.
“It is a great success for Pakistan cricket; it is almost to the standard of other T20 leagues taking place around the world. The Pakistan Cricket Board must be lauded for holding such a quality tournament. All the leagues around the world give you a chance to interact with players from other countries but few succeed in creating the kind of environment that the PSL has,” said the player who has played in some of the biggest T20 leagues in the world.