LONDON (REUTERS): Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Kumar Sangakkara has said that Australia and England must tour Pakistan to facilitate international cricket in the country.
Talking to an international sports channel, former Sri Lanka captain said, “It doesn’t matter an Asian side going there or a second side in terms of world prominence when it comes to having security measures in place.”
He further said, “I think it’s important that England or Australia, even South Africa, make up their minds to actually tour when security is assured and they have those discussions; the MCC tour will be a precursor to that.”
However, Sangakkara agreed that it was too early for an extended tour of Pakistan.
In this regard, he said, “It’s not exactly the right time for extended tours, but I’m sure that with the right communication and the measures in place those players can go back and play some great quality cricket, have a great time and bring cricket back to Pakistan.”
Kumar Sangakkara said, “I don’t think you are ever going to see in the near future a five-test match series coupled with a one-day series played back-to-back.”
“I think it will be more a case of you play two test matches, you take a break, you go back and play three one-dayers,” he concluded.
Top international teams have rejected to tour Pakistan since the 2009 attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lanka team in Lahore. Sangakkara, who was part of that team, returned to Pakistan with an MCC team in February this year.
In December, Pakistan played their first test match on home soil since 2009, while Bangladesh also played a test match in Rawalpindi in February.
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