Champions Trophy is to be held in Pakistan, despite concerns from teams like Australia, New Zealand and England. PCB is elated at being given the go-ahead to host the second-most important ODI tournament for cricket fans.
Shafqat Naghmi, the board’s chief operating officer, said “The decision has proved that Pakistan is safe to play cricket in.”
The decision is a really an important one for Pakistan, as it has suffered from a number of tour pull-outs and venue shifts since 2001, most recently when Australia postponed their March-April tour this year over security fears. There were real concerns that shifting the Champions Trophy away would irreparably damage Pakistan’s status as a venue for forthcoming bilateral series as well as, potentially, a co-host of the 2011 World Cup.
Some players’ associations from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England are not happy with ICC’s decision and is possible that few big names might not come in to Pakistan.
- About Cricket -
Sandesh Kumar
