KARACHI: Pakistan’s head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq on Wednesday made a fervent appeal to the world cricketing community to do more for the country in its bid to stage full-time international matches on home soil while forewarning his charges not take the new look Sri Lanka side lightly in the upcoming limited-overs series.
Addressing his maiden media conference at the National Stadium on Wednesday after Pakistan team’s practice session was cancelled following heavy rains for the second successive day in the mega city, Misbah made it clear that in the prevailing scenario, it would be fair that Pakistan shouldn’t be isolated as far playing series on home soil is concerned
“I think the situation everywhere these days is more or less the same. Pakistan has done the best it can do to provide peaceful and safe environment where people can live in peace and enjoy their lives. In sporting terms, I firmly believe all of us in the cricketing world need to do more to have more countries playing in Pakistan,” the 45-year-old Misbah who retired in 2017 as Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, said.
“As a sportsman, my conviction is that cricket, or for that matter any other sport, shouldn’t suffer just of the fears the foreigners have in their minds. We are living in a world where at present no place or country can be considered completely incident free of hundred per cent safe but, of course, the very best level of security and hospitality can be ensured for the visiting teams and officials.
“Look we are all performing our rituals in our day-to-day life without being fearful. Cricket is a passion in Pakistan and is a sport that brings people closer. Sri Lanka has always supported and helped Pakistan in every possible way to end the cricketing isolation at the international level. They are true ambassadors of their country and by coming to Pakistan now they have further strengthened the great friendship our two nations have always enjoyed,” he added.
The former skipper went on to add: “Our ultimate goal is to make sure more teams visit Pakistan because playing at neutral venues [like in the UAE] is or was never an ideal solution to the problems we have had faced over the past decade or so. Believe me, both I and my team members are very excited to be playing in front of our own fans because their presence inspire you hugely. This feeling was non-existent in the years of isolation and we badly missed the camaraderie and the fanfare that every host team got or gets. The crowd definitely lifts one’s game and can give the inspiration to the players to perform at their best.