ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad will next month tour China as a cricket ambassador to promote the emerging game in the sports-mad Asian giant.

“As part of Pakistan’s support plan to promote the game of cricket in China, we have decided to send Miandad to China so that he can explore ways to help lift the game in that country,” said a sports ministry official, Ashraf Khan.

President Asif Ali Zardari, who is patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), appointed Miandad as cricket ambassador to China in December.

Miandad, 51, will tour China from March 9 to 15. “I have high hopes of China competing at a top level very soon because the feedback I have is that they have potential and can excel in the field of cricket, like they did in other sports,” Miandad told reporters.

Former Pakistan paceman Rashid Khan is China’s national cricket coach and guided their female team to the semi-final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) women’s tournament in Malaysia last year.—AFP