Pakistan legend Javed Miandad said Thursday a "conspiracy" seeking to undermine his country was behind its increasing isolation in world cricket. Pakistan were left to play their latest cricket series at the neutral venues of Dubai and Abu Dhabi after Australia refused to tour the troubled country, describing it as a high risk for their players.
And the International Cricket Council (ICC) last week endorsed that view by stripping the country of its share of 2011 World Cup matches following last month's deadly terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.
But Miandad, a director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told AFP: "I am convinced that it's nothing but a conspiracy and some groups want to isolate Pakistan." Miandad accepted Pakistan's reputation as cricket venue had been damaged by the Lahore attacks, which left seven Sri Lankan players and a coach wounded while eight policemen were killed. But the security situation would have improved in time for the World Cup fixtures two years away, he said.