LAHORE: Marylebone Cricket Club president Kumar Sangakkara on Thursday said MCC players were thrilled to be in Pakistan and added that their visit would address the concerns of other countries which were reluctant to tour the country.

“After 48 years for MCC and ten years for me it is wonderful to return to Pakistan. On behalf of the MCC and me we are thrilled to be here. Our visit to Pakistan will address the [security-related] concerns of other countries as well. And as the MCC is also an international club the message will be stronger since we are here to play cricket,” former Sri Lankan captain Sangakkara said at a press conference alongside PCB chief Executive Wasim Khan here on Thursday.

The London-based MCC team, which arrived in Lahore on Thursday, will play four limited-overs matches against local teams during their stay in the Provincial capital. The 12-man touring squad comprises players from English counties such as all-rounder Ravi Bopara and spinner Samit Patel.

The MCC play their first T20 match against Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. The game is scheduled to start at 5.00pm. The visitors take on Pakistan Shaheens in a 50-over match at the Aitchison College ground on Monday. The MCC then compete against Northern (Feb 17) and Multan Sultans (Feb 19) in two T20 matches at the same venue.

“For the last many years the struggle has been on to bring back cricket to Pakistan and I have been part of many conversations [on this subject] in the past. And the MCC cricket committee has been a strong advocate of backing Pakistan cricket. And lot of discussion and efforts of the PCB, especially by Wasim helped to materialise the tour [of MCC],” the 42-year-old Sangakkara, who is the first non-Briton president of the MCC, added.

“When Wasim did come to present the case before the world cricket committee the passion Wasim had, we saw the arrangements and the improvement which had been made was eye opener and following that presentation the decision was very quickly made that rather than just talking about it is time to actually come and tour this wonderful cricket nation,” the left-handed Sangakkara, who featured in 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015, remarked.

“I have many wonderful memories of playing here in Pakistan, particularly in Lahore. I first visited Pakistan in 2002 to play the Asian Test Championship match in Lahore. Playing against great cricketers like Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik along with Inzamam-ul-Haq in that particular Test was great,” he said.

Sangakkara scored a double century in that match (230) and led Sri Lanka to an impressive eight-wicket victory.

Sangakkara said it was irony of the fate that Pakistan’s incumbent cricketers like Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq could not play international cricket in front of their home crowd.

However, now as international cricket was gradually returning to Pakistan, the country’s star players would get the chance to show their skills in front of their home crowd, and that would attract more youngsters to join the game.

“Slowly the game is coming back [to Pakistan]. Sri Lanka were the first to visit and play Test cricket here. As a fellow of the Sri Lankan team and as MCC president I am part of this tour I am so happy to do a part to encourage the countries to look at Pakistan as one of the best cricketing destinations it has been that in the past and I am sure that it will be the same very soon and cricket will go a long way in engaging people from different countries,” Sangakkar added.

“And I remember very very clearly when in 1996 Sri Lanka was needing the assistance and the countries showed the spirit and came to Sri Lanka to play cricket to ensure that the country is safe and for us on this tour it is about spreading that message again from the MCC that what we have views in terms of international cricket and world cricket and at the same time supporting Pakistan on its journey back.

“We looked forward to some wonderful cricket in coming days. The MCC is very very competitive side so we are here to play some good cricket and hopefully we will try to win some games here and it is great we have very tough oppositions ahead,” the legendary Sri Lankan wicket-keeper/batsman said.

Instead of giving a message to those, who are reluctant to visit Pakistan, it was better for the MCC to come and play, Sangakkara reckoned.

“Instead of giving some direct message to them [other teams] it is better to play here in Pakistan and as there will be a lot of media activities they will experience it and it will be enough to give a positive message,” he said.

“Security is a very major concern everywhere in the world and the steps Pakistan has taken in ensuring security are great and slowly and gradually the confidence is building up and it will make Pakistan’s message more stronger and harder, not to be ignored,” he emphasised.

“I think we are here because one of the co-philosophies of the MCC is that we are independent and the spirit of cricket is strong and this tour of ours is part of it to make it stronger.”

To a question, Kumar said he had been a great admirer of hospitality and foods in Pakistan.

“I have many friends in the Pakistan team and out of it too and there are many cherishing memories of my past visits to this country,” he said.

About Pakistani pitches Kumar said these were more friendly for the batsmen and not for the bowlers so batsmen over the world wanted to come here. He hoped that in coming matches his bowlers would excel well.

HUGE ACHIEVEMENT FOR PAKISTAN

Earlier, while welcoming the MCC squad in Pakistan, Wasim said it was after a long period that a non-Asian team had visited Pakistan. It may be mentioned that the World XI was the first non-Asian side which came to Pakistan under the ICC umbrella in September 2017, having some great names including South Africa’s batting maestro Hashim Amla.

Wasim said the MCC team was an ambassador of bringing cricket back to Pakistan and for this Sangakkara played a vital role.

“It is a proud moment for the PCB to have the MCC in Pakistan after 48 years. The MCC is the most prestigious club of cricket, the custodian of Lord’s, the home of cricket and the custodian of the laws of the game. And their visit is a huge achievement for Pakistan,” Wasim said at the press conference.

“The MCC has first-class well-established players representing different countries and we thank them for their support to Pakistan cricket,” he said.

He said the tour was also important in the backdrop of MCC’s history and its status in the world of cricket.

“Hosting the MCC team is very very important for us and no doubt Kumar played a very positive role for helping us bring international cricket back to Pakistan. Now the youngsters in our country will see their role models playing in front of them instead of playing in the UAE,” the PCB chief executive stated.

When asked whether staging three matches against the MCC at the Aithcison College ground where general public as well as media were not allowed would not be the right message to the outside world, Wasim said as the World Kabaddi Cup was also being staged in Lahore during this cricket tour, Aitchison College was the best venue in the city to host the MCC matches.

Moreover, he said, as the Pakistan Super League matches were also being held at the Gaddafi Stadium from Feb 21, the groundsmen needed to prepare the Gaddafi Stadium for that mega event.

To a question, Wasim while admitting that stringent security measures for the MCC matches created some difficulties for general public said as Pakistan had promised presidential-level security for the visitors, there were some protocols which had to be followed.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2020