Bangladesh promised Saturday to work towards bringing international cricket back to Pakistan after a three-year hiatus, kicking off a visit to assess security for a proposed series in April. "We will work hand in hand to convince our other colleagues there in the ICC (International Cricket Council) to bring back cricket to Pakistan at the earliest," said Mustafa Kamal, chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
He spoke to reporters in Islamabad, beginning a visit to assess security for Bangladesh's proposed tour to Pakistan three years to the day after attacks on Sri Lankan players saw international cricket suspended in the troubled country. The nine-member Bangladesh delegation held talks with Interior Minister Rehman Malik and is to tour facilities in Lahore and Karachi, before returning home on March 5 to submit a report for approval to the government in Dhaka.
"I am here with the positive mood of mind," Kamal told a joint news conference with Malik and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf. On March 3, 2009 gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, killing eight Pakistanis and wounding seven visiting players and their assistant coach. The attack suspended international cricket in the country, stripped Pakistan of its 2011 World Cup hosting rights and forced it to play home series at neutral venues in England, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.