Pakistan Cricket Board Chair Ehsan Mani wants Australia to play in Pakistan. GETTY IMAGES
Pakistan Cricket Board Chair Ehsan Mani opened discussions with new Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts "in a bid to facilitate the first tour of Pakistan by an Australian team" since '98, according to Ben Horne of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Mani has not "given up on convincing Australia to make a historic return in February next year" for five one-day internationals, and said that Pakistan’s reputation for being unsafe "is now a perception rather than a reality." CA appears committed to "finding a way" to bring int'l cricket back to the region, but it is understood "taking that bold step next February is highly unlikely at this stage." No Australian team has traveled to Pakistan since '98. Since the '09 bus attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, Pakistan has "been forced to play in front of empty stadiums in the UAE" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/17). In Sydney, Daniel Cherny reported Australia is scheduled to play five ODIs in Pakistan next March. The idea of that series being held on Pakistani soil "looks ambitious, although not impossible," but in any case, Pakistan is "keen for Australia, England and New Zealand to return as soon as possible." Mani "insisted it would be safe for Australia to visit." He said, "Obviously, they rely on the High Commission's advice, but a lot of it is a matter of perception. I am yet to meet people who, once they’ve been to Pakistan, have any concerns about going there. It will certainly happen sooner or later. It’s a matter of comfort levels." The Australian government’s official advice is for Australians to "reconsider their need to travel to Pakistan, with several troublesome areas absolute no-go zones." Mani, however, said that "the dangerous spots in Pakistan were far removed from where any cricket would be played" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/17).
