Pakistan Will Not Play Any Home Series On Neutral Venue: PCB Chief Mani

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani has made it clear that the national cricket team will no longer play any of their home matches in a bilateral series on a neutral venue. With most of the top teams refusing to tour the country since the attack by terrorists on a Sri Lankan team bus back in March, 2009, Pakistan have been forced to play their home games in UAE at Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Pakistan is hosting Sri Lanka for two Tests in December with the first test due to start from Wednesday in Rawalpindi and that has provided Mani the much-needed confidence that he needs.

“I think we have faced enough problems due to international cricket not being played at home. We have now taken all steps to create a safe environment for touring teams and we will not play our home series at any neutral venues now,” Mani told ‘Samaa’ TV channel.

He once again expressed his disappointment that India has steadfastly refused to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan in prevailing conditions.

“They think by not playing cricket with Pakistan it will cause us any problem. They are wrong,” Mani said.

“I think the Indian people want to see bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan but unfortunately there is political interference in the game in India,” he said.          

India has refused to tour Pakistan since 2007 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. Pakistan did have a short tour of India in the winter of 2012/13 to play some limited over games.