Dubai: A series between Pakistan and India is ‘seriously important’ for international cricket and the International Cricket Council will support the series in whatever way it can, says ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
The two countries have met on neutral venues in ICC events but have not played a bilateral series since 2007 when Pakistan toured India. With Pakistan unable to host international cricket given the security situation, Lorgat confirmed that a request has been made to India for them to play in the UAE.
“This is a seriously important fixture, something that even the new chairman Zaka Ashraf will have on his mind,” Lorgat told reporters at the Dubai cricket stadium. “We’ll support whatever is possible to make that series happen and we’ve also requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play in the UAE but it’s up to the boards to work out the location and the series.”
Lorgat also remained overly impressed with Pakistan’s winning streak on the field, where they have not lost a Test series since losing to England on the ill-fated tour last summer and beat New Zealand, West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe in One-Day International (ODI) series. With six wins on the trot, the ICC chief termed Pakistan’s good show beneficial for world cricket given the support they enjoy globally.
“We need Pakistan to be performing at the highest level. They’re always a joy to watch and make a lot of people happy. When Pakistan perform, it’s good for international cricket. They’ve been fantastic to watch over the last year. Pakistan cricket deserves to be respected for the quality of its game.”
The matter of bringing international cricket back into Pakistan, however, remains a topic that was far from reaching a beneficial conclusion, Lorgat added that and planning was underway as to how it can be done.
The ICC chief also backed the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, under attack by various quarters for its seemingly inefficient existence, and said that with it not being a law-enforcing agency, there were certain actions they could not take.
“It’s doing the best it can. It’s not a law-enforcing agency, it can’t conduct sting operations and can’t arrest people. Given that, I’m happy with how it’s functioning.”
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