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The Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) have called upon the International Cricket Council (ICC), seeking confirmation of reports about a possible Bangladesh tour of Pakistan in December this year, FICA Chief Tim May revealed.
“I have requested confirmation from ICC as to the report’s accuracy. Until then it is not appropriate for us to comment,” the Pakistan Observer quoted May as saying.
“Any opinion on whether it is safe to tour Pakistan should be decided by independent security consultants.” he further added.
Pakistani cricket chiefs this week approved the purchase of bulletproof buses as part of efforts to persuade foreign teams to return after a long suspension over security fears.
No international team has played in Pakistan since the March 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, which left eight people dead and seven visiting players wounded.
The PCB governing board met in Abbottabad to agree to buy the armoured transport.
“To ensure best security protocols for the international teams, the board unanimously approved the purchase of bulletproof buses to enable the PCB to achieve higher security measures for the visiting teams,” a PCB release said.
Earlier this year, the Bangladesh High Court ordered the national team’s tour of Pakistan to be postponed due to security fears.
Bangladesh were set to play a 50-over game and a Twenty20 international on April 29 and 30 in Lahore.
But Additional Attorney General M.K. Rahman told AFP that the high court in Dhaka had ordered Bangladesh’s cricket authorities to explain why the tour was scheduled to go ahead despite concerns over the team’s safety.
The high court gave the order following a petition by a lawyer and a university teacher.
Following latest reports of a proposed tour, the petitioners’ lawyer Hassan Azim said: “Well, now it’s time that the security plan of Pakistan be tested in our apex Court. If the Court gives a clearance after hearing all the parties, then it will indeed be a very big achievement for Pakistan.”
