Published in ARY News on Dec 18th, 2019,
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) will visit Pakistan in February 2020 under the leadership of their president and former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakara, the Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wasim Khan revealed.
The squad will be arriving in the country after a gap of almost 46 years to play few matches in Lahore. Last time the star-studded squad toured Pakistan back in 1973.
According to Khan, he has been in talks with MCC’s committee for the last few months. The aim behind this tour is to make sure Pakistan is a safe and iconic venue for international cricket. It must be noted here that Khan had attended a high-profile meeting of the MCC World Committee earlier this year before ICC World Cup 2019.
“Following a very long time of talks, and the chance to put Pakistan’s convincing case forward to the lofty and significant MCC World Cricket Committee. I am delighted that MCC has confirmed that it will send a visiting group to Lahore in February,
“The decision by the world’s oldest and most influential cricket club to send a quality team is a further testament that Pakistan is as safe and secure a country as any other cricket-playing nation in the world, and MCC’s tour is a further step forward in normalizing team tours to Pakistan,” Wasim stated.
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In this regard, Sangakara expressed his excitement to be a part of this upcoming historic event. “It is hugely important to support cricket in countries such as Pakistan, and the PCB has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the international cricketing landscape since the tragic events of 2009,” he said.
“I am excited to be captaining MCC on the tour to Pakistan. With international cricket having returned for the first time in a decade, it is wonderful the Club is doing its part to strengthen cricket in Pakistan and I look forward to being part of the trip,” the legendary player added.
The MCC’s Chief Executive Guy Lavender, who will be with MCC’s touring squad to Pakistan as a team manager, will be honored to be a part of an exciting event. “The people of Pakistan have been starved of seeing their team play at home for a decade and it is wonderful to see that Test cricket has recently returned to the country,” he said in a released statement.