After the conclusion of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)'s week-long tour of Lahore, Kumar Sangakkara, the President of the prestigious MCC and skipper of the MCC's touring squad to Pakistan, has said that he would love if more international cricket teams consider touring Pakistan so international cricket in the country can be resumed in full force.
Speaking to PCB Podcast, Sangakkara said: "It's been great to be back in Pakistan. It's been a long time since I came here and it has been even longer for the MCC. For us, it has been about coming here and playing cricket in support of Pakistan's journey of getting international cricket back."
He said, "It's important that, when you are in a country on a tour, you're not confined to a hotel, but you can go around and enjoy the city and the country you're in. It is excellent for us to get to the [Lahore] Gymkhana golf course quite a few times. The players absolutely loved it. We were hosted with some amazing hospitality and warmth."
"The message we will be taking back is about the warmth of the people, the welcome of the fabulous spectators who came to watch cricket, the passion the players and people have for it and our own experiences of playing here and traveling about in Lahore," Sangakkara said, "We would love for teams to consider coming here so that international cricket can finally come back to Pakistan in full force."
"It is important things are put into context, moves are made, minds meet and things are reconsidered because the message that we take back is that Pakistan is a great place to tour," Sangakkara said, adding: "I remember all those matches that I've played here but it's always special to come back and revisit it. We never expected such a big crowd for a first game against the Qalandars. We were really, really impressed and we're very, very moved and we understand very, very easily how much passion there is and how the lack of international cricket is not a great thing for Pakistan, for the people, for the players and for the financial status of the PCB."
Sangakkara - who has 12,400 Test runs said, "Pakistan has always produced exceptional cricketers, especially young cricketers with a lot of variety; really fast bowlers, really good batsmen, mystery spinners, wrist spinners, you name it. On this trip it was no different."
"In certain countries we have the average age of a cricket fan of 45-plus which is not a healthy sign; It is a complicated thing on how we attract a cash-rich time-poor younger demographic of people and younger players to the game and also keep the established fans interested. It is a complicated thing," he said.
He said, "Day-night Tests have been mooted and various other innovations have been brought to keep the crowds in the stadiums for Test cricket. And, it is not just about the big sides that play, it has also been about the slightly lesser sides that have had the Test status. What does cricket mean for them? Five days of cricket for certain sides and four days for others, that's not a healthy way to go forward either."
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