The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping to host more Test-playing nations after Zimbabwe became the first major international team to play in the country for six years.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Tuesday that current and former officials from the cricket boards of England, India and Sri Lanka have supported his work to host Zimbabwe’s current tour, which features two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals.
“The cricketing world has appreciated our efforts,” Khan told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium during Pakistan’s first one-day international.
Khan said former England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke, the former chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Narayanaswami Srinivasan, and Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee chairman Sidath Wettimuny were among those to have telephoned him.
Thousands of security personnel have been deployed to protect the Zimbabwe delegation in the eastern city of Lahore, after an attack on a Sri Lanka team bus there in 2009 team killed six police officials and a van driver.
Hundreds of armed security personnel shield the team buses as the team travels from its hotel to the stadium.
Packed crowds of 27,000 supporters at the Gaddafi Stadium have faced a series of security checkpoints to take their seats.
“The response is great and beyond expectations, the crowds have been magnificent,” Khan said.
“People have overcome the security hassles, but no one complained ... and Zimbabwe cricketers have been appreciative that they got the best welcome,” he added.
Fans also tried to convey a positive message and displayed banners such as “we are peaceful nation, we are not terrorist” at the stadium.
While Zimbabwe agreed to play all the matches in Lahore, Khan said he hoped to host international games in other major cities like Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan in the future.
“We want to build on that gradually as we have more venues under consideration ... so that we can have proper series that include Test matches,” Khan said.
Khan said he will show a documentary on Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan at an International Cricket Council Board meeting in Barbados next month to encourage other teams to tour the country.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase also encouraged other national teams to return to Pakistan.
“For the nations who remain skeptical, they should have sent some delegations to come and be part of this event and watch what is happening in Pakistan. That would have given them confidence,” Manase told the espncricinfo.com Web site.
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