ICC Hires International Security Forces to Boost Resumption of Cricket in Pakistan
Aug 16, 2017 at 4:44 PM
The Story
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the employment of a security company for a three-year period to strengthen Pakistan’s bid to bring back international cricket on their soil.
Pakistan has been deprived of cricketing action on its soil ever since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan National Team at Lahore outside Gaddafi Stadium.
Since then, visiting teams have expressed fear in touring the country although the national team continues to be one of the biggest competitors at the international level. As an alternative, the Pakistan Cricket Team has been playing its so-called home contests in the UAE.
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Newly-appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has confirmed the news and stated that the formation of the international security company will be the first huge step towards resuming cricket in the country.
“It’s a step by the ICC for the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. The company is based in three countries “ the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates “ and has a good repute,” the Dawn quoted Najam, as saying.
He further said that the security company is expected to visit the nation either during the last week of August or the first week of September.
“A representative of the Federation of International Cricketers (FICA) will accompany the security company to personally monitor the security situation in Lahore,” he added.
The 69-year-old explained that the security company will evaluate the condition at various venues and decided about the necessary security arrangements required for the teams.
“It will be a four-day visit where the security company will work with the government of Punjab to get assurances that all the recommendations submitted by security experts of the different countries who visited Lahore to watch the final of the second Pakistan Super League (PSL) season have been incorporated by the government in its SOPs, or not,” he said.
The cost of the yearly security team visit to Pakistan will be US$400,000.