SPORTS

Pakistan chairman says tours could resume shortly

March 08, 2009

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt said on Sunday his country could host an international team in the next six to nine months and will still co-host the 2011 World Cup.

Butt was speaking by telephone on BBC's Five Live Sportsweek programme about the militant attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore on Tuesday in which seven people were killed and six members of the Sri Lankan team injured.

"I would expect teams will tour here again as soon as possible. I would give it six to nine months to get things organised," he said.

"I would want us to get security to a level that would be a guarantee from my government that no such incident like this could happen again, or I will not invite anybody.

"Once I have this assurance I may then invite people to come here. But this can happen anywhere. I cannot give that guarantee, but my government can. If they cannot then we will not have cricket in Pakistan at all. I definitely think that we will stage part of the World Cup in 2011."

Butt said he disagreed with match referee Chris Broad who said there had not been enough security to protect players and officials. Former England batsman Broad was travelling in the officials' bus behind the Sri Lanka team.

"I totally disagree with Chris Broad, he is overdoing it. And it is wrong if they (the International Cricket Council) are siding with one man's opinion. I have told them that this opinion is totally wrong," Butt said.

Source: REUTERS
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