No home series for Pakistan anytime soon

Pakistan can forget about hosting international cricket at home anytime soon as the ICC does not plan to review the security situation in the country until the end of this year.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, while talking to the Pakistani media in London during the first Test at Lord's between Pakistan and Australia, ruled out the immediate return of international cricket to Pakistan.

He said the ICC governing body would only take stock of the situation in Pakistan in December.

"We are doing our best to make sure that Pakistan continues playing international cricket. At the moment the best option for them is to play their home series aboard and that is exactly what they are doing," he said.

He also said the best option at the moment for Pakistan is to play their home series on neutral grounds and the ICC was doing its best to accommodate them.

Pakistan is playing its 'home' Test series against Australia in England due to the efforts of the ICC, which got the England Cricket Board and the MCC to support the series.

No team has toured Pakistan since March last year when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

To complicate matters, despite reminders from the ICC, the PCB has still not sent the sport's world governing body an official report on the incident.

Lorgat said the ICC was in touch with the PCB and trying to take them in confidence on every move that concerns Pakistan.

He said the ICC had also formed a special task force to keep a watch on situation in Pakistan.