The former Test cricketer was amazed that the MCC has announced that they are willing to tour Afghanistan, a worn-torn country that has been fighting the Taliban since the September 11, 2001 attacks, instead of Pakistan, which is a full member of the International Cricket Council.
No cricket team has visited Pakistan since March 2009, when the visiting Sri Lankan team was attacked by militant in Lahore, en route the Qaddafi Stadium. In that particular attack, eight people were killed, seven were wounded, included the assistant coach of Sri Lanka. This incident has meant that Pakistan has to play all its home series on the neutral venues of the United Arab Emirates, or other stadiums around the world.
"I am shocked at MCC's double standard," Latif told AFP. "Even Afghanistan's team don't practise in their country because of the war and yet MCC is planning to tour Kabul and ruling out Pakistan."
This response came in after the MCC president Phillip Hodson told the BBC that his club had a better chance of visiting Afghanistan, where NATO troops provide security.
He said, "I think we could do something in Afghanistan and I don't think it will be long away,"
Latif has also stated that it is his duty to help Pakistan and he will try his best to revive cricket in the country, as he feels that it is national obligation to do so.
"I am confident that Lashings or a World XI can tour Pakistan. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan's former captain and current player) has also talked to a lot of international players who are willing to come to Pakistan," said Latif, who has good relations with David Flob who is the owner of Lashing Cricket Club.
The current chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf has also made reviving international cricket a top priority of his tenure and recently he had talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, to send their team to Pakistan for a ODI series.
0 comments:
Post a Comment