Daily Times

Finally, doors opened for international test cricket on local grounds. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will play two test matches next month, respectively on Dec 11 and 19, according to Pakistan Cricket Board’s press release issued on Thursday. The matches will be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi cricket stadiums respectively. This news brought charm and happiness on the face of the fans of the most celebrating sport in the country.

The international cricket teams were refused to come and play in Pakistan many times and the international cricket was stopped in the country due to terrorist attack on 3^rd March 2009, when Sri Lankan Cricket team on the way to Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, to play Day three of their second test match against Pakistan. The terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team drought the local cricket grounds for the long term of the decade.

In the terrorist attack six, Sri Lankan players were wounded, a reserved umpire suffered serious injuries, and along with two civilians, six security men were martyred in the firing. The tour and the Test match were canceled.

In 2011 ICC World Cup Pakistan was the co-host and sixteen matches had to play in Pakistan but due to the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009, it was dropped. Those sixteen matches were shared between the other co-hosts of the subcontinent; India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Pakistan was granted Test status in 1952, and the ICC Cricket World Cups held in 1987 and 1996, Pakistan had also the honor for being the joint host for both events. Due to improved security conditions and effective diplomatic efforts of Pakistan Cricket Board brought the international cricket back to the homeland.

In February 2013 Afghanistan cricket team came to Pakistan and played unofficial two one-day and a T20 matches in Lahore, Multan, and Hyderabad respectively.

Zimbabwe was the first team that came to Pakistan on 19 May 2015 after six years of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team. They played two T20 and three regular one-day matches against Pakistan in Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium between 22 and 31 May.

Then in March 2017 for the final match of Pakistan Super League second season in Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium, the international players including Darren Sammy, Chris Jordan and Marlon Samuels came to Pakistan. September 2017, the World XI led by South African Player Fuf du Plessis, came to Lahore and played three T20 officially. Hashim Amla, Veteran Paul Collingwood, David Miller, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, and David Miller were the names who were included in the World XI team.

In October 2017 the Sri Lankan team came to Pakistan for the first time after a terrorist attack on them in March 2009 in Lahore. They played the final match of the T20 series against Pakistan in Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. The first two T20 matches of the series were played in UAE.

The West Indies Cricket team toured Pakistan in April 2018 for the series of three T20. The series was played in the National Stadium Karachi which won by Pakistan. Now recently the Sri Lanka cricket team toured Pakistan for a series of three one-day regular and three T20 matches. The one-day regular matches series were played in National Stadium Karachi and T20 series played in Gaddafi Stadium Lahore in between 27 September and 09 October 2019.

The return of cricket especially the Test Cricket to Pakistan is a proud moment for the nation and there is a dire need to continue this process so that the cricket field in the country will be re-established. To re-establish the cricket grounds, the efforts is above all of Najam Sethi’s ex-chairman PCB.

The writer is a student of BS Media and Communication Studies at International Islamic University, Islamabad.