ICC official: Pakistan should convince players

14 January 2011

Top ICC official David Richardson says Pakistan needs to convince player associations around the world that it is safe to host international cricket again. Richardson, the International Cricket Council general manager cricket, said the Pakistan Cricket Board could benefit from talking to people like Tim May, who heads the Federation of International Cricket Association and New Zealand players association. "We (ICC) would love Pakistan to be playing international cricket tomorrow," Richardson said on Friday. "But no matter what I say, people like Tim May or the New Zealand players association, they need to be convinced." The PCB invited Richardson to witness its first ever day-night, four-day premier first-class final for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy _ in which an orange color ball was being used. Pakistan has been a no-go area for foreign teams since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus on March 3, 2009, killing six policemen and a van driver and wounding several players. Richardson left Pakistan just before the attack took place. "The day before that (attack) I was talking to journalists, talking on television how normal things looked ... and then out of the blue this incident happened," he said. "To be honest things couldn't look more normal as they do at the moment. "This is not going to happen overnight, the onus is on everybody, not only ICC, its on the PCB, its also on Pakistan people (and) Pakistan government to all try and convince people that it is safe to play cricket here." Since the attack, the PCB had been forced to stage 'home' series against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the United Arab Emirates or England. The ICC also formed a Pakistan Task Team _ of which Richardson was a member _ to identify options to help restore the international confidence in Pakistan from a safety point of view. "One of those options was a suggestion that perhaps the time might be right quite soon when we could persuade a select team or a world team to visit Pakistan to play a match against the national team," Richardson said. "Certainly we haven't got to a stage where anyone has said, 'Well, that is going to be the next option,' or that tour will take place next year or in two years' time or in five years' time. "We haven't got that far yet. It was just one of a number of options that were put forward. Whether it will actually happen, it's too early to speculate." Thousands of people have died in scores of suicide bombings in Pakistan over the last few years. Richardson said when such acts of terrorism happen in a particular country _ like Pakistan _ it does take some time for confidence to be restored. "It will be a gradual process," he said. "But I'm sure that with an increase in visits from people outside the country, whether it is administrators or later junior teams or private teams, that kind of confidence will be restored." Richardson promised Pakistan enough cricket when the ICC announces its next Future Test Program from 2012. "Pakistan will not be deprived of any cricket," he said. "They'll get as much cricket as anyone else." Just not at home, for now.