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MULTAN, Nov 15: A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared there were no immediate plans to reschedule the itinerary of the current England tour to Pakistan following Tuesday morning’s bomb explosion in Karachi.
Shaharyar M. Khan, the PCB chairman, told reporters that it would be premature to make a hasty decision as regards to staging of the One-day International to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi on Dec 15.
“We have discussed the unfortunate bomb blast in Karachi with the ECB vice-chairman Mike Soper, who is here, and the England team manager Phil Neale and we have all agreed not to take any action until we have more details from the Pakistan government and the Karachi administration,” he said.
“At the same time, both the PCB and the English cricket authorities are keeping in touch with their respective governments for further advice. In the meantime we will keep monitoring the situation in Karachi on a day-to-day basis,” he added.
The PCB chief pledged that the already foolproof security provided to both England and Pakistan cricket teams would be further strengthened.
“But I must add here that had the English team been in Karachi now, the stringent security measures in place would have made it virtually impossible for the perpetrators to penetrate through the cordon and harm anyone,” he pointed out.
While condemning the incident, the PCB chairman stressed that it was a global issue which was not only confined to Karachi but also other world cities. “Unfortunately these types of attacks have been taking place for a long time and no city in the world can guarantee it is safe and secure from terrorist attacks.
To a question, Shaharyar said that the Indian cricket board had yet to comment on the Karachi blast. “But I am sure they will soon get in touch to find out the actual situation as would the Indian government with our government.”
India have agreed to play a Test and a One-day International in Karachi during their scheduled tour of Pakistan early next year. Moreover, they are slated to participate in the Asia Cup and face hosts Pakistan and Oman in preliminary round matches in Karachi.
No need for ‘knee-jerk reaction’
LONDON: England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) says there is no need for a “knee-jerk reaction” following a bomb blast close to a Karachi hotel where England team will be staying next month, agencies adds.
PCA chief executive Richard Bevan told the BBC: “Security is an ongoing issue. It’s simply a question of waiting for professionals to make a report on whether the incident will have an effect on the tour.”
England & Wales Cricket Board refused to allow the team to play a Test in Karachi following a visit to Pakistan by two security experts earlier this year.
They did, however, accept an itinerary that includes a one-day international at National Stadium.
Bevan said the incident in Karachi was unlikely to cause any undue concern for players.
“They know there is a high quality, professional team working on security on their behalf and everything has gone according to plan to date.
“Karachi match isn’t until Dec 15 and should we have a problem, the professionals will be advising us in next couple of days and we can take it from there,” he added.
