Zimbabwe national cricket team plan tour of Pakistan in mid-May

Zimbabwe will become the first Test team to visit Pakistan in six years, a top cricket official said Monday.

“Zimbabwe will visit Pakistan from mid-May for a one-week tour,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said.

A security team from the African nation will visit the terror-hit country to assess the situation before a final itinerary is announced, said Khan.

Foreign teams have refused to tour Pakistan over security fears since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

Pakistan has had to host all its home matches in the United Arab Emirates instead.

Efforts to revive international cricket in Pakistan received a blow in 2012 when Bangladesh twice refused to tour after initially agreeing to a limited-over series, citing security fears.

Another limited-over series against Ireland was also deferred in September last year after a terror attack on the airport in Karachi that came three months before the tour.

Khan said Zimbabwe would have top-level security and that the team will likely stay at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, a few metres away from the Gadaffi Stadium, and play all the matches at one venue.

PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said that if the International Cricket Council does not agree to send officials then umpires from Pakistan and Zimbabwe will step in for the matches, which, he said, will be of international status.

Khan said an Australian army team will visit Pakistan next week, helping to open the doors to international cricket, and a women’s team from Bangladesh next month.

The PCB is also in talks with the Netherlands, Ireland and Nepal to send their national teams in the near future.

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