PCB Chairman Firm On Playing Against England In Pakistan Or Not Play At All In 2022

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani has shed more light on England’s potential visit to Pakistan in 2022 for bilateral series. Pakistan are currently playing a three-Test series in England and hope that the ECB returns the favour by sending their players to play in the sub-continent nation in 2022. The PCB chairman has firmly stated that if the tour goes ahead, it would happen in Pakistan only and not a neutral venue.

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Test cricket returned to Pakistan after a decade last year as Sri Lanka played a couple of them in December. They also played three ODIs and as many T20Is, which went ahead successfully. Bangladesh also toured Pakistan and played a bilateral series. However, it had to be called off midway due to the COVID1-19 pandemic. Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has strongly urged other countries to tour Pakistan to play in the near future.

It remained suspended for a decade due to the political uncertainty in the nation. Ehsan Mani clearly sees no reason for England not to visit Pakistan, which could be their first in 2022 since 2005. Mani claimed that they won’t contest the matches in neutral venues and that either they would play in Pakistan or they will not.

“I don’t think there will be any reason for England not to come. I’m very clear that we won’t play in third countries. We either play in Pakistan or we won’t play,” Mani told BBC Sport.

“Pakistan is safe” : PCB Chairman

The chairman went on to stress that Pakistan is safe for sports to stage and that tight security would be in place for visiting teams like it has already. Mani mentioned that by the time MCC came, they were out for sightseeing and eating in various restaurants. He further said that by the time the Englishmen come, things would have settled down, giving more room for freedom of movement.

“Pakistan is safe. For some teams that have come we have had very tight security, like you would have for a head of state. By the time the MCC came, they wanted to get out and play golf. They went sightseeing, they went to restaurants. We’ve got two years before England come and I hope by then things have settled down and there will be more freedom of movement,” Ehsan Mani added further.

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