We Are Very Confident They Will Come: PCB CEO After Sending Invitation To England To Tour Pakistan In January 2021
Oct 16, 2020 at 4:14 PM
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan informed that they had sent an official invitation to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to tour Pakistan to play three-match T20I series in January 2021.
England have not visited Pakistan since the 2005-06 season when the team toured for a Test and one-day series. The countries had stopped touring Pakistan after the attack on the bus of Sri Lankan players in 2006. But the Asian country was successful in bringing back cricket at home last year in October after they hosted bilateral series against Sri Lanka.
England likely to arrive in Pakistan in January: PCB
PCB CEO stated that they have created a window in January next year to host England. Earlier, Pakistan had toured England when coronavirus cases were increasing rapidly worldwide. Khan said that it was a courageous decision to send our players at health risk, but we agreed to play to resume cricket.
“Yes, we have now sent an official invitation to the ECB inviting them to send their team and have also created a window between 13 and 20 January to play the three T20 series,” Khan told a Pakistani channel.
“When we took the decision of sending the team to England, we were worried because of the COVID-19 and bio-security bubble situations and some people also voiced their concerns that might be putting our players into a health risk,” Khan conceded.
“It wasn’t easy for us when some 10 players tested positive prior to leaving for the tour,” he recalled. “But we sent the team because we felt that it was imperative to resume cricket activities and the resumption of world cricket depended on how well the bio-secure bubble worked in the series.”
Wasim Khan is confident that England will come as he hopes that other countries will also get aspire to tour Pakistan after the English men’s arrival.
“We are very confident they will come and if that happens it will be great for Pakistan cricket as it will open the doors for other top teams like Australia and New Zealand to also come to Pakistan.”
Pakistan had earlier this year hosted bilateral series against Bangladesh. Also, the first time the Pakistan Super League was hosted at their home this year.