HARARE, Zimbabwe: The Zimbabwe cricket team will visit Pakistan next month to play three one day internationals (ODIs) and two T20s, becoming the first ICC full-member nation to visit Pakistan since the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.
In a press conference in Harare on Thursday, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase confirmed the tour, saying all the matches would be played in Lahore.
“I can confirm that @ZimCricketv will tour @TheRealPCB in May,” Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase was quoted as saying by the board’s Twitter account.
“We have taken cognisance of all the factors for us to arrive at this decision, so let’s not be alarmist about the situation in Pakistan.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Zimbabwe would arrive in Lahore on May 19, and play two Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs between May 22 and 31 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Punjab CM assures foolproof security for foreign cricket teams
On Wednesday while talking to the Chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan in Lahore, the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that foolproof security measures would be taken for the foreign cricket teams visiting Pakistan.
The Punjab chief minister expressed hope that the tour of the Zimbabwean cricket team would be an important development in the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan.
On March 3, 2009 when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers was on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, it came under an attack by 12 gunmen near Liberty Square. In the attack, six members of the Sri lank cricket team were injured while six Pakistani policemen and two civilians were killed.
Since then, Pakistani fans have not witnessed any international cricket action in the country, and Pakistan have been compelled to play all their home series at neutral venues, mostly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
