LAHORE: Pakistan has received a positive response from the ICC members on its request for financial support from the game’s governing body as it struggles to maintain a standard of cricket due to foreign teams not touring the country on security grounds.

“Our detailed presentation seeking support was considered in a positive way and Pakistan Task Force head Giles Clarke will go through the demand to suggest ways in which the ICC can support PCB,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan told Dawn from London on Tuesday.

“It’s good that Mr. Clarke is the head of ICC’s Finance Committee and he has a soft corner for Pakistan. I will meet him next week and officially submit the needs of the PCB.

“As far as the survival of the PCB is concerned, it isn’t a problem as we have funds to meet the expenditures of foreign teams even in the UAE.

But after meeting those expenses, we have no funds to promote cricket as schools, colleges and varsities and therefore the game is suffering domestically.

“It is very expensive to host teams in the UAE but we have been playing there for the last seven years,” added Shaharyar on Pakistan having only seen lowly-rated Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Kenya arrive for tours since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

The UAE has since been Pakistan’s home venue.

“While the PCB is making heavy expenditure in UAE, the locals are eagerly awaiting international cricket at home,” said Shaharyar.

“The crowd in Lahore [when Zimbabwe visited last year] was amazing and despite all the matches being played at one venue, spectators thronged the Gaddafi Stadium on every occasion.”

Shaharyar said negotiations were in progress to host Afghanistan next year to play a few ODIs against Pakistan and four-day matches against the Pakistan ‘A’ side.

“They were interested in touring this year but we have no window till January,” he added.

The PCB chief was happy with the start of Pakistan’s tour of England with the team performing well during their opener against Somerset where the players have done well in all departments.

“We wanted this kind of a start and it will encourage our players to do well in the Test series,” Shaharyar said. “We expect the same kind of performances once the Test matches begin.”

Shaharyar will watch the first two Tests in England before returning home where he will finalise the name of Director Cricket Operations in August.

He added that he didn’t know exactly how many candidates had submitted their nominations for the coveted post, which was recently created.

There are reports, however, that a close contest is expected between former leg-spinner Iqbal Qasim and former batsman Haroon Rasheed for the post.

While the chairman was happy over the performance of the Pakistan ‘A’ team, which is also in England, he was concerned over the performances of the women’s team, which is also touring England.

“Drastic changes are needed to improve the standard of the women’s game,” Shaharyar concluded.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2016