SYDNEY: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should keep strengthening their domestic cricket structure so they do not face any problem when international cricket returns to that country, Chief Executive International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday.
He said this was a very difficult question to be answered that when the international cricket will be returning to Pakistan and its big challenge and mission to solve its security issues beyond cricket.
"I don’t think ICC can solve this problem. ICC was always trying to support Pakistan cricket where it can, " he told APP Senior Sports Correspondent Ehsan Qureshi in an exclusive interview here at the sidelines of the second semi-final at Sydney Cricket Ground between Australia and India.
"Security issue is the biggest challenge to be solved. I don’t think ICC can solve that problem," former South gloveman said.
"The only worth support I can extend that I came from a country where they did not play International cricket 30 years," he recalled
"But if Pakistan continue to concentrate on their domestic structure and there are good coaching programmes in place you can still develop young players and keep cricket alive," he stressed.
He said PCB has done a reasonable job in this regard and they should maintain it.
"Peoples should not be too pessimistic about Pakistan team. Pakistan bowling attack was best in the Cricket World Cup Tournament," he said.
He said Pakistan is going through a phase where players like Younis Khan and Misbah may be coming to the end of their careers and Pakistan have to bring some youngsters who can take over from the them.
"At some stages they should glimpses of talent. So if you maintain steady improvement why Pakistan cannot be force to reckon with," he added.
Commenting on ICC's role in persuading foreign teams to Pakistan, Dav Richardson said they can play any role in the direction.
"You ask this question to individual teams and players on security issue, PCB should persuade their Under19 teams to tour Pakistan," he said.
"I think PCB is doing good job to persuade junior team and full member teams to come to Pakistan and play under controlled circumstances in Lahore and Karachi," he said.
Regarding ICC Task Force formed for Pakistan, he said ask Force highlighted the issues and made recommendation to keep cricket going by good selection system and don’t let the domestic infrastructure go down.
"So when International cricket returns to Pakistan they should feel that have not lost much ground," ICC Chief Executive concluded.
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