Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is desperate to host international teams in their home, but the International teams still have doubts to play in the country due to political tensions and the security reason in the country. Many believe that the security situation in Pakistan is still not feasible for International Cricket to happen in the country.
The long-standing concerns about the Upcoming Asia Cup 2023 continental event came to an end after the latest ACC meeting, where India finally accepted the hybrid model proposed by Pakistan, as they will host only 4 games in the marquee event as other games being played in Sri Lanka
The PCB had been contemplating staging a few matches in the country including the Asia Cup 2023, where BCCI refused to play the country in the neighbouring nation citing the security problem and the International Cricket Council has awarded the country with the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy but it remains uncertain whether they will host the event in the country.
Here are the five instances which prove Pakistan is still unsafe to host International Cricket.
1. Security Reasons In The Country
They were still a lot of bombs attack in Pakistan which highlights the ongoing security threat in the country. The safety of players and fans must be the top priority for the International Cricket Council, as they would look to host the marquee events in the safer nations, where security is not the cause of concern. Many Cricketing boards including India refuse to travel to the country citing security reasons.
Even the PSL 2023, they were bomb attacks in Karachi where the games were scheduled to be played and the police and the security forces worked hard to bring normalcy back to host the games in the country.
2. Cancellation of Recent Tours Due To Security Threats
Even after International Cricket returned to Pakistan following the Sri Lanka team tour of Pakistan in 2009, following which entire International Cricket in the country was stopped. The New Zealand tour of Pakistan in 2021 was cancelled after the investigative agencies in Pakistan found that they were security threats in the country.
Due to the security threat, the series did not take place in the country, even though both country’s Prime ministers tried to solve the issue, which eventually fell out as the series was entirely cancelled from the country.
3. Financial Instability In The Country
The financial status of the Pakistan Cricket Board is a concern for the country to host International Cricket in the country. The PCB found it difficult to host the Pakistan Super League 2023 in the nation, as they do not have a proper structure to host the game.
Earlier, the interim Punjab government had demanded PKR500 million from PCB to conduct the matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi. As per reports, the Punjab government demanded a whopping amount for lighting and security purposes. To save these expenses, the Pakistan cricket board has considered shifting the Punjab leg of PSL 8 to Karachi.
4. Many International Cricketers Not Happy With The Pakistan Cricket Board Treatment
During 2015 the country’s only International tour after 2009, When Zimbabwe they were security concerns in the country as they had a suicide blast during the 2nd ODI, as many former International Cricketers expressed their disappointment about the safety issues in the country.
“It is like me going to Iraq based on what I have heard about Iraq. You are going to have nice places in Iraq. You are going to have nice places in Pakistan,” Andre Russell said.
Many International Cricketers like Shane Watson, and Andre Russell who were part of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League spoke about the security issues in the country.
5. Bomb Explosion During Pakistan Super League Game
During the exhibition game between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, they were a bomb blast near the stadium, which created some unrest among the cricketer and fans in Quetta as the blast happened very close to the cricket stadium.
The match was stopped for some time due to the incident, after which the investigative agencies and police confirmed the safety, and the game progressed. Although no players were injured during the bombing, it resulted in unrest among the players and fans in the game.