Pakistan's hopes of hosting its first international cricket match in three years was thrown into jeopardy after the High Court in Bangladesh suspended the national team's tour to the strife-torn nation.
Pakistan's hopes of hosting its first international cricket match in three years was on Thursday thrown into jeopardy after the High Court in Bangladesh suspended the national team's tour to the strife-torn nation for four weeks due to security reasons.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has now informed their Pakistani counterpart that they would not be able undertake the brief tour on the scheduled dates of April 29 and 30 in view of the court order.
Bangladesh team was set to play a one-dayer on April 29 and a Twenty20 international the next day at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the first full international matches in Pakistan since March 2009, when Sri Lankan cricketers and officials were attacked by gunmen in Lahore.
"Suspend the tour for four weeks," said an order issued today by a two-member bench responding to a petition challenging BCB's decision to send the national team to Pakistan, where it was set to take part in two matches.
The High Court bench comprising judges Farid Ahmed and Sheikh Hassan Arif questioned the legality of decision to send Bangladesh cricketers on a short trip despite the security risks and ordered the Sports Ministry Secretary and chiefs of National Sports Council chief and BCB to justify the decision in the meantime.
A Supreme Court lawyer and a private university professor challenged the decision citing security concerns as Pakistan Cricket Board was yet to provide a "security plan" for the Bangladesh team's tour as demanded by International Cricket Council (ICC).
"Pakistan is not safe for any foreign teams now. Their own media including their English daily Dawn says so. For that reason, no country agrees to play there. Under the same circumstances, we should not go there also," the petition read.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}