Cricket News: Bangladesh agree to tour Pakistan

Cricket-Bangladesh agree to tour Pakistan

Sun, 15 Apr 12:01:00 2012

Bangladesh has agreed to tour Pakistan for two matches which would be the first full internationals in the country since March 2009 when Sri Lankan cricketers and officials were attacked by gunmen in Lahore.

Bangladesh will play one one-day international and one Twenty20 international in Lahore at the end of this month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Sunday.

The ICC board has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to immediately provide a comprehensive security plan for consideration.

The ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit will then commission a localised risk assessment to determine if the officials and staff are appropriately protected by the proposed security plan, before any further decision is taken in relation to their appointment.

Last month, the ICC had said it may waive its requirement for neutral match officials if the proposed series went ahead.

Under the ICC's standard playing conditions for ODIs, one of the two on-field umpires and the match referee must be drawn from countries not taking part in a match.

"The public of Pakistan have been deprived of cricket and we felt that we needed to support them," Bangladesh Cricket Board president Mustafa Kamal was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The reception we received when we toured Lahore and Karachi on our security visit was overwhelming."

PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf thanked the BCB and the Bangladesh Government for their support for the tour.

Foreign teams have continued to shun Pakistan for more than three years now after the attack which killed six Pakistani policemen and a van driver.

Source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15042012/2/cricket-bangladesh-agree-tour-pakistan.html

Pakistan news: Bilateral ties hinge on tour of Pakistan

Pakistan news
Bilateral ties hinge on tour of Pakistan
Umar Farooq
March 19, 2012


The relationship between the PCB and the BCB is likely to suffer if Bangladesh do not go ahead with the proposed tour to Pakistan in April because of security concerns, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. An implicit deal had been reached by the two boards, according to which the PCB backed BCB president Mustafa Kamal as the nominee for the ICC vice-presidency and Bangladesh would tour Pakistan in 2012.

"Ultimately, its Bangladesh's loss if they don't send their team," Zaka Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo. "We are helping them and want to have a positive relationship not only with Bangladesh, but all the nations. We want to strengthen our relationship. We have been sending our players to feature in their leagues and we expect them to respect our positive approach, after all everything is on reciprocal basis."

The ICC executive board is set to consider Kamal's nomination as its next vice-president, and president in 2014 after Alan Isaac's term. And though there have been constant doubts over whether Bangladesh will tour Pakistan, the PCB is optimistic that the drought of international cricket in the country since the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009 will come to an end.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB, despite being satisfied by the proposed security arrangements for the tour to Pakistan, is seeking some support from other countries, but none has been forthcoming. A nine-member delegation, headed by Kamal, had been sent on a two-day visit to Pakistan to observe a demonstration of the security plan for the series, and Kamal had said he was positive about the tour going ahead.

The ICC, however, introduced a special dispensation to be made in exceptional circumstances in order to ensure bilateral series take place even if the ruling body determined it unsafe to appoint its officials for such series. It would allow such series to be manned by "non-neutral match officials."

Kamal then put the future of the tour in doubt by saying, "We won't go if everything doesn't happen within the standard practice, which is the allocation of match-referees, umpires and all things by the ICC."

While the PCB did not respond to Kamal's comments, a board official said the BCB was being leaned on by another country. "We are informed of a third-country pressure on BCB," a PCB official told ESPNcricinfo. "We understand most of the member boards aren't keen to support our move, but we are very much clear of what would be required to give Bangladesh the confidence to come to Pakistan. And we did exactly what we have to do - we have engaged the government at the superior level to satisfy Bangladesh with the security arrangements."

Since the attacks, Pakistan have played their home bilateral series at offshore venues such as New Zealand, England and the UAE but the PCB saw no commercial advantage in hosting Bangladesh at such venues. The PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, who will be in Dhaka for the end of the Asia Cup, will make a final attempt to allay any doubts Bangladesh might have. The PCB also ruled out the possibility of talks with the BCCI. "There's no use of asking India any further," Ashraf said. "Their board doesn't want to play us and that's clearly understood."

Edited by George Binoy

Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent




Source: ESPNcricinfo

Bangladesh Cricket Board says yes to Pakistan tour, Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore, 2012, Bangladesh v Pakistan, Bangladesh news, good news pakistan, Pakistan news,

Bangladesh Cricket Board says yes to Pakistan tour
By Web Desk / AFP
Published: April 15, 2012


Bangladesh cricket team will soon be face-to-face with Pakistan in matches played at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore. PHOTO: FILE
The wait is finally over.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday confirmed its tour of Pakistan for a short one 50-over match and one Twenty20 international.
The series will revive international cricket suspended in the country three years ago.
“I am pleased to confirm the tour in which Bangladesh will play a one-day match on April 29 and a Twenty20 game the next day, both in Lahore,” Bangladesh Cricket Board president Mustafa Kamal said in a press release.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said the confirmation is a good sign.
“I am extremely pleased that Bangladesh has confirmed the tour. Obviously this is very important for us and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this tour takes place in a befitting manner,” said Ashraf.
The Bangladesh cricket team will soon be face-to-face with Pakistan in matches played at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Developments in the last few weeks suggested that Bangladesh was reluctant to send its team in the absence of neutral officials which the International Cricket Council (ICC) had refused to send to Pakistan.
However, the PCB remained optimistic about the Bangladesh tour and the PCB Chairman had tried convincing BCB Chairman Mustafa Kamal time and again.
Last month’s chief executive committee meeting agreed to allow local officials for the series if there existed security apprehensions over sending neutral officials. The CEC had recommended the matter to the ICC for approval.






Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/365116/bangladesh-cricket-board-says-yes-to-pakistan-tour/

Bangladesh v Pakistan, Asia Cup, Mirpur

Pakistan look to erase UAE drubbing

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran

March 10, 2012

Match facts

March 11, 2012
Start time 1400 (0800 GMT)

Big Picture

Bangladesh's and Pakistan's last meeting seems like it happened yesterday. Not too long ago, Pakistan toured the country, winning all games quite comfortably, before heading to the UAE. There's a chance they could face each other again shortly for another series of limited-overs games, in Pakistan, if the tour gets a go-ahead. Their meeting tomorrow is not a bilateral event, but a tournament which has been shoe-horned into an already cramped calendar. Seven games have been crammed into 12 days, with each team meeting the other once before the top two make the final. The flip side to such a format is that a poor start, or a surprise defeat could jeopardise a team's chances of qualifying.

The head-to-head record suggests that Pakistan are overwhelming favourites. That's what many would have predicted after they steamrolled England, the top Test side, 3-0 in the UAE. Yet, their 0-4 crash to the same team in the one-dayers confounded many, coming against a side which has traditionally under-performed in the shorter format.

Nevertheless, it was a wake-up call for Misbah-ul-Haq and the rest who took their foot off the pedal after the Test series. Perhaps they were homesick, or plain tired. In that sense, this Asia Cup assumes more context for Pakistan, who would want to sign off their season on a high, synonymous with their performance over the last year-and-a-half.

The Bangladesh players have been a busy bunch themselves. In a sense, the Asia Cup has been positioned aptly for the Bangladesh audience, who are just coming off the hangover of the Bangladesh Premier League. Whether the BPL will have a positive impact on Bangladesh's stature as an international team or not is a discussion for another day.

The tournament has given local players a chance to mingle with internationals. Despite that, the performances of some of the local players were underwhelming. There was also some off-field drama, with Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, calling the BPL a "disorganised" tournament. Despite some of the farcical behind-the-scenes action causing the organisers a lot of embarrassment, the Bangladesh fans appear to be in a feel-good wave and their enthusiasm will be crucial even in matches not involving their team.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLWL

Pakistan LLLLW

In the spotlight

Mashrafe Mortaza has made several comebacks from injury. Tomorrow, he opens yet another chapter. A knee injury sidelined him from the 2011 World Cup. He returned for the Australia ODIs shortly after but hasn't played an international match since. He captained the Dhaka Gladiators to the BPL title, taking 10 wickets with a strike every 24 balls. His presence adds experience to the seam attack.

One of Pakistan's most consistent batsmen in the last year, Mohammad Hafeez, has suddenly slipped. In the ODI series against England, Hafeez managed just 61 from four games. Pakistan will need him to play a steady hand at the top of the order.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the Shere Bangla Stadium has a bit of grass, a deviation from the normally slow surfaces which have prompted captains to bring their spinners on from the second over.

Teams

All Bangladesh players are available for selection, but if the pitch continues to have that layer of grass, then the teams might be tempted to field an extra quick bowler. Bangladesh have recalled the batsman Jahurul Islam so there's a chance for him to stake a claim in the middle order.

Sarfraz Ahmed will make a comeback as Pakistan's wicketkeeper, after Adnan Akmal was left out.

Bangladesh (likely) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt and wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Jahurul Islam, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Elias Sunny, 11 Shafiul Islam

Pakistan (likely) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Younis Khan 4 Umar Akmal 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema

Stats and trivia

Shahid Afridi is just one run away from 7000 ODI runs

Bangladesh's first-ever one-day international was at the Asia Cup in 1986, incidentally, against Pakistan

Bangladesh have previously hosted two editions of the Asia Cup, in 1988-89 and 2000

Quotes

"He's the main player with both ball and bat, so we are focussing on him, but it is a team of 11. Anybody can contribute, so also have to have to a plan against every player."

Misbah-ul-Haq knows Bangladesh rely heavily on Shakib Al Hasan

Edited by Abhishek Purohit

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

 Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.