World champions West Indies turn down Pakistan T20 tour

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

KARACHI: Recently crowned World Twenty20 champions the West Indies have turned down a request from Pakistan to play matches in the country due to security fears, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Monday.

Pakistan are due to host the West Indies in two Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals in September and October this year.

Nearly all the country's home series have been played in the neutral grounds of the UAE since a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, but Pakistan had hoped the T20 leg of West Indies' tour could be played in Lahore.

Khan said: “We wanted the Twenty20s to be played in Pakistan and made an effort but the West Indies Cricket Board have refused saying they have security fears, so the full series will be played in (the) United Arab Emirates.”

The West Indies' refusal came after a suicide bomber killed 73 people in a park in Lahore on Easter Sunday last month.

Pakistan hosted Zimbabwe for two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals in Lahore last year hoping the tour would pave the way for more international teams to visit -- a hope that has yet to be realised.

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Abdullah

Apr 18, 2016 06:35pm

they can go to paris and brussels but cant come to pakistan...

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Abdullah

Apr 18, 2016 06:36pm

they can go to mumbai but not come to pakistan????

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narendra

Apr 18, 2016 06:36pm

not at all a surprising decision.

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syed

Apr 18, 2016 06:40pm

Shaharyar Khan. When are you going to stop insulting Pakistan. Even if they refused to come to Pakistan, was it necessary to tell the whole world about it. No chairman of a cricket Board speaks as much as you do.

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narendra

Apr 18, 2016 06:41pm

@Abdullah makes no sense in what you are talking

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Revenge

Apr 18, 2016 06:42pm

The request was asking too much. Life is precious more than anything.

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amit

Apr 18, 2016 06:44pm

Please provide safety assurance in writing

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INDIA FIRST

Apr 18, 2016 06:44pm

And we just successfully hosted WT20 without any hiccups. Nice to see international stars shopping without much of security

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saurabh

Apr 18, 2016 06:45pm

@syed face the truth and reality don't run away from it. make efforts to improve it

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INDIA FIRST

Apr 18, 2016 06:46pm

Wise desicion Windies.

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saurabh

Apr 18, 2016 06:46pm

@amit in writing is not sufficient. make that a ground reality.

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Samrat

Apr 18, 2016 06:53pm

@Abdullah when did Windies toured Paris and Brussels. Both don't play cricket.

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Sunil

Apr 18, 2016 06:54pm

Good and right decision taken by West Indies.

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Azhar Hussain

Apr 18, 2016 06:55pm

why do we need to request, its is given that no one will come till security improves.

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Naveed

Apr 18, 2016 06:55pm

This is really sad. I don't blame West Indies board for this decision. With military operations going on all over Pakistan, how can we host such a high profile tournament. For the time being UAE is the best venue for hosting their home games.

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Naveed

Apr 18, 2016 06:58pm

The Indians are specially enjoying the WI decision. Hopefully India has no role to play in this!

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Mehak Gulab

Apr 18, 2016 07:00pm

If efforts are made Pakistan can go back to reasonably good security situation & cricket can come back as well...

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s.khan

Apr 18, 2016 07:01pm

@Samrat , Football games are played in Paris. Manchester City played Paris St German recently as part of Uefa league championship.

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Apr 18, 2016 07:01pm

@Naveed With military operations going on in all province it is quite surprising that an invite was sent that was most likely to be rejected

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wellwisher

Apr 18, 2016 07:04pm

why not play in Bangla desh and Sri lanka.

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raja

Apr 18, 2016 07:10pm

Why pakistanis surprised? Your own PSL is held in dubai so how can you blame others.

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Apr 18, 2016 07:13pm

@wellwisher Bangla / SL won't generate revenue compared to supporters in UAE for Pakistan Cricket.

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Arslan

Apr 18, 2016 07:14pm

Very Sad!

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Cool boy

Apr 18, 2016 07:17pm

India hosted t20 world cup then next year u-17 fifa world cup then 2023 cricket world cup and many more ..... and where we are going ..... just one big tournament in pakistan and everything will be change .....

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Anuj

Apr 18, 2016 07:18pm

@sk if supporters in UAE can generate so much of revenues then why ask BCCI?

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Revenge

Apr 18, 2016 07:19pm

Anyone surprised ?

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itellyou

Apr 18, 2016 07:33pm

PSL should be hosted on Pak soil and then all the teams will follow.

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Abdullah

Apr 18, 2016 07:44pm

I wonder who sponsored the attack on Srilankan Cricket Team which stopped all international cricket in Pakistan???????????? .......it is not difficult to guess right.....

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mohammed

Apr 18, 2016 07:45pm

I do not understand why to many Indians are so happy about West Indian not coming to Pakistan..............

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Trump

Apr 18, 2016 07:50pm

A Wake up call for all Pakistanis. Face the reality and bring the necessary changes.

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Prakash Puthalath

Apr 18, 2016 07:52pm

Pakistan hosted PSL in Dubai; this was a tactical mistake. It sent wrong message to world teams.

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PrasadDeccani

Apr 18, 2016 07:54pm

@sk In this subcontinent, gate collections of a cricket match is peanuts. It is telecasting rights that fetches 90% of the revenue. However, I must say that a stadium filled with cricket fans is a beautiful sight and, always encourages home team to give their best.

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Junaid

Apr 18, 2016 07:55pm

@INDIA FIRST You seem to have forgotten the threats from RSS , due to which Pak vs India match had to be moved. You call it successful?

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BHANU

Apr 18, 2016 07:56pm

@Trump WELL SAID

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Basit Ali

Apr 18, 2016 07:57pm

@Abdullah Is that a question, statement or a fact sir?

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SKS

Apr 18, 2016 08:00pm

I am Indian, I am not happy that WI is not touring Pakistan and Indians are not the ones who are happy when the neighbours house is on fire. I feel Indians should stand with Pakistan and vice versa in time of need.

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Basit Ali

Apr 18, 2016 07:59pm

@Abdullah so many years have passed since then, where is the judicial report or who was held accountable and prosecuted for the attack?

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sam

Apr 18, 2016 07:59pm

@Abdullah : If you want Pakistan to get better, stop blaming India for everything"bad" happens in Pakistan. One has to realize problem/issue,before a solution can be found. Be pragmatic and recognize real issues. Best of luck.

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World peace

Apr 18, 2016 08:01pm

Good decision by WI. Life is more precious. After the Easter bombing of Christians in Lahore, all civilized countries would be apprehensive about visiting Pakistan. It's sad.

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Goan Bob

Apr 18, 2016 08:01pm

@Junaid - Don't distort facts. The match was not shifted due to RSS threats; it was because the CM of the state did not guarantee security, while the West Bengal government did.

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Arsalan

Apr 18, 2016 08:13pm

Yet another match on the dead pitches of the UAE....yaaaay, can't wait!

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Kashmiri

Apr 18, 2016 08:14pm

If PSL is played in Dubai then can't blame West Indies team

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PK LOSER

Apr 18, 2016 08:14pm

@SKS I am happy, and an Indian

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Kashmiri

Apr 18, 2016 08:15pm

Our leaders and family themselves live outside Pakistan. I think 10plus years before cricket can be played in Pakistan

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Waseem Sarwar

Apr 18, 2016 08:15pm

Stop requesting teams. Give it another couple of years with all military operations going in right directions and things will be better. BTW Shaharyar Khan is a former bureaucrat and he should know when to do what. Stop inviting people right now and let teams play in UAE.

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RIZ

Apr 18, 2016 08:22pm

Why keep insisting teams to play in Lahore. PCB stop limiting Pakistan Int'l cricket just to Lahore. Pakistan have several other options but again suggesting anything to PCB means hitting your head to the wall.

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Harry

Apr 18, 2016 10:32pm

@syed being Indian I agree with you. PCB tasks to much on all issues. They need to learn to keep information classified.

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Abdul

Apr 19, 2016 01:31am

This is the reality, feeling sad for the nighbour. Stand up and fight by your heart, need not be with guns and tanks but with voice and pen. Fancy operations dont yield results untill you identify who your real enemies are.

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Seedoo

Apr 19, 2016 02:01am

I don't blame them

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Truth

Apr 19, 2016 02:05am

Off course security situation is poor. And well known to outside world.

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Ihsan

Apr 19, 2016 02:05am

No problem we will play with our brothers Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia

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Bitter truth

Apr 19, 2016 02:07am

If the citizens and politicians itself leave in UK due to security issues, why would anybody want to tour.

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sam

Apr 19, 2016 03:01am

@SKS I have nothing against Pakistani people but WI is just being rational here.

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Changez_Khan

Apr 19, 2016 03:13am

India is behind this propaganda against Pakistan.

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Akil Akhtar

Apr 19, 2016 04:16am

They will go to india even if there are many more bombings...we are just weak and not paying enough...

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XoF

Apr 19, 2016 04:43am

Good decision. Better new generation get out of this lame passion of cricket and get into other sports. Pray that cricket gets finished in my Country.

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Shahid

Apr 19, 2016 04:58am

Money should not decide everything. Pakistan should at least play 3 tests in a series.

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Apr 19, 2016 05:56am

Instead of playing in gulf country , why not Pakistan and West Indies play these matches in INDIA?

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aman and shanti

Apr 19, 2016 06:07am

Once the government of Pakistan and PCB are confident that security in Pakistan has improved to an extent that international teams can be safe, PCB should invite a world team to visit first, start with people like Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Usman Khwaja and a few from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe to form a group of 12-15 players and play a 3 ODI, 2 T20 tournament - not all in Lahore. It should be under ICC consent and convincing these players to play in Pakistan should be simpler than boards. Such a start will give boards enough confidence to re-start cricket in Pakistan.

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Manish

Apr 19, 2016 06:51am

@Ihsan Pakistan refused to host Afghanistan, but still inviting WI. Why ?

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Vaibhav Delhi

Apr 19, 2016 07:48am

Can pakistan play cricket with top team in future at home??

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rohit

Apr 19, 2016 08:53am

As an Indian I feel sorry for Pakistan.Yours is true cricket loving nation and I think passion is even greater then we Indians. You guys definetly deserve better than this.

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Yash

Apr 19, 2016 08:58am

@wellwisher why not in India?? Afridi told his team has more supporters in India than in Pakistan!!

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Karan - Mumbai

Apr 19, 2016 09:06am

You yourself host PSL in UAE and now expect WI to play in Pakistan!

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Sudhir Neyalasinger

Apr 19, 2016 09:11am

The problem with Pakistan is that their administrators and politicians lack marketing savvy and this shows up in many things whether it is cricket diplomacy or foreign affairs. Pakistan is probably as immune to terrorist threats as India is. But Indians market themselves better.

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asgher

Apr 19, 2016 09:24am

for now Pakistan is in no shape to play westindies, not in lahore not anywhere. We must regroup and rethink our cricket. Then think later about the politics... PS: Indian Terrorist Agency RAW attacked srilankan team which resulted in all this madness in the first place

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Wallahi

Apr 19, 2016 09:53am

The right decision by WIndoans.

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Pak Khan

Apr 19, 2016 09:53am

To be honest, I support their decision.

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Secularist

Apr 19, 2016 10:02am

Why blame WI or India? With the sole exception of Zimbabwe, which other team has toured Pakistan since the Sri Lankans were scared out of their wits. Heck! Even the recently inaugurated Pakistan Super League played its matches in the safety of UAE some 4000 kilometers from Paksitan. Not in Pakistan! Instead of blaming others, a reality check is needed.

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CHANDRAJEET MANE

Apr 19, 2016 10:21am

its quite sad for Pakistan. and it will require a herculean overhaul of Pakistan security situation to even think of any team for any kind of sports to visit Pakistan. i think to build confidence Pakistan should first organised championships with local players in a grand fashion inside Pakistan. PSL can be a good bet..

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Apr 19, 2016 11:28am

After winning T20 WC they are on Sky and how can you expect them to do so.

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sourav Ghosh

Apr 19, 2016 12:06pm

@Abdullah Are you seriously asking this?

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RAVI... the sun

Apr 19, 2016 01:10pm

Even PSL is not played in Pakistan then how you expect WI to play there. If next PSL is successfully played in Pakistan soil then things will definitely improve

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Mahen

Apr 19, 2016 02:05pm

@Junaid Get your facts straight.

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Iman

Apr 19, 2016 03:14pm

@Akil Akhtar India is best place for Cricket. Every player in world, including Pakistani players enjoy playing in India. I was in Kolkata to watch T20 final and fount excellent facility in stadium. Wonderful sporting crowd too.

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PK LOSER

Apr 19, 2016 03:21pm

@asgher and you can't prove it yet.

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Apr 19, 2016 04:25pm

@Junaid you are mistaken on all aspects. First, there was no threat from RSS. The security issue was created by "Congress" CM, which is opposed to BJP and RSS. Second, you are missing the main point. Despite these internal bayaan-baazi by petty politicians, India successfully hosted all teams including Pakistan without any incident.

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Pakistani

Apr 19, 2016 07:41pm

WOW Indians here are really sad that West Indies have refused to come to Pakistan. This shows the brotherly love between us. And we should reply in kind to them.

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Amar

Apr 19, 2016 07:55pm

Before inviting anyone to come and play in our backyard, we need to make sure our backyard is safe for everyone. Who in the world is going to risk their lives and take a chance to get killed. The people of Pakistan, the government of Pakistan need to make the environment playable. First peace needs to return to Pakistan. God bless Pakistan.

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Sunil Varma

Apr 20, 2016 09:33am

@wellwisher ...Pakistan can have their International games in Manali in Chandigarh and Pakistan fans can easily witness the matches. Only the stadiums can be hired and all the gate collection and advt revenues can go to The Pakistan Board. In fact this can be a long time arrangement , and places like Amritsar ( 30 Km from Lahore ) can be developed for Pakistan's International games. When there is a goodwill anything is possible.

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Rehan

Apr 20, 2016 10:04am

PCB should first start with one city proposal- say Lahore. Provide the touring side with Presidential Quality security. Give it to them in writing. And then may be one if the test playing nations may come. Ask Bangladesh to tour. They are a much improved side and will be touring India soon.So that would not mean any compromise on quality. Plus being a fellow Muslim nation who too are going through some internal disturbance they may would be more sympathetic. Also I agree with many readers that as it was earlier planned a part of PSL should have been held in Pakistan. In Lahore.

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Truth

Apr 20, 2016 04:52pm

InshaAllah Good times will come soon.

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Apr 20, 2016 05:07pm

I wonder if India allows PCB to host w.indies in India.

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