LAHORE: The Inter­national Cricket Council (ICC) has welcomed the visit of the World XI to Pakistan to play three T20 matches against Pakistan in September which is big step towards resumption of international cricket in Pakistan.

Since the ghastly terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore back in 2009, the ICC has never made serious efforts for the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan despite forming a Task Force, headed by its ex-chief Giles Clarke.

However, for the first time in eight years, the ICC is not only sending a star-studded World XI here but it has also sanctioned huge funds amounting to USD 1.2 million to hire an international security agency to assist in security for the teams in Pakistan.

In a press release issued here on Thursday, the ICC stated: “The International Cricket Council has welcomed the World XI’s tour of Pakistan following the naming of the team which will travel to Lahore in September and the confirmation that the three-game series will go ahead.

“Mr Giles Clarke, the ICC Director who has served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Task Force since 2009, was optimistic that the series will be the first step towards international cricket retur­ning safely to Pakistan with further T20 International matches against Sri Lanka and the West Indies penciled in for later in the year.

“Mr Clarke, who had visited Lahore in January, said: “I’m delighted that Pakistan will be hosting a high-profile series after a long time which features several top international cricketers from a number of ICC Member countries.

“This tour is not only important for cricket in Pakistan but also for international cricket since it opens the possibility of other teams, media and sponsors to visit Pakistan for bilateral series.

“Pakistan has been an important member of the ICC and the cricket community has felt its pain. As part of its duty of care, the cricket community has always ensured that the sport is not affected due to no fault of the Pakistan Cricket Board when it has continued to play its away series off-shore.

““The ICC Members releasing their top players and the respective player unions backing this series is testament to the support the world has extended to Pakistan during these difficult times. The focus of everyone in the international game is the safe return of cricket to Pakistan.

“It will be an excellent opportunity for Pakistan fans to watch live in action not only their local stars but also the international cricket heroes. I wish the PCB and the World XI best of luck and will be following the matches from the Gaddafi Stadium.

“The Pakistan Task Force, which was formed in June 2009, and also included ICC Chief Executive David Richardson (then ICC General Manager — Cricket), made 63 recommendations in June 2011 about the organisation of the game in the country.

“The PCB accepted most of those recommendations and it resulted in the side remaining competitive at the top level, evident from the fact that it reached the quarter-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, qualified for the final of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2014, attained number-one Test ranking in September 2016 before winning the ICC Champions Trophy this year,” the ICC release said.

“Mr Richardson, who has been a regular visitor to Pakistan, said: “The ICC wants to see regular international cricket being played safely in all its member countries and the World XI playing Pakistan in Lahore next month is a step towards that for the PCB.

“The PCB’s plans for the tour will include comprehensive security arrangements for the safety and security of the players, officials, media and the spectators. As such, the ICC is fully supportive of these games. That said, all the stakeholders will remain vigilant and re-evaluate the situation if required.

“We are optimistic that this will be the next step in a steady and safe return of international cricket to Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2017