International cricket is all set to return to Pakistan as after the World XI team confirmed its tour to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from Sept 11 to 15 for four T20 matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, Sri Lanka and West Indies teams have also agreed to play two and three T20 matches in Lahore. Sri Lanka will play two T20 matches in October; then the Caribbean will be here to play a three T20 matches series.

It is a good news for the cricketing fans, in particular, and for the nation, in general, as the international community is visiting Pakistan without any fear. International cricket and other sports had signed off Pakistan after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team at the Liberty Chowk in 2009, a couple of furlongs from the Gaddafi Stadium. The attack had claimed the lives of eight policemen guarding the team, while several others, including umpire Ahsan Raza, were injured.

The good thing is the international cricket community considers Lahore a safe place to visit. The city has already hosted the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) successfully at the Gaddafi Stadium on March 5 this year. The successful event convinced the World XI, Sri Lanka and West Indies to come to Pakistan. Hopefully, the World XI will conclude the visit on a happy note.

Several factors stand behind the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan. The Safe City Project of Lahore, has undoubtedly, played a great role to satisfy international security experts about security arrangements in Lahore.

Last week, the Pakistan cricket team also visited the main office of the Safe City Project to watch the system. The foreign coaches of the Pakistan cricket team, including head coach Mickey Arthur, also accompanied the team.

The PCB should be grateful to Giles Clarke, who is the head of the ICC Task Force formed to resume international cricket in Pakistan. Mr Clarke made brilliant efforts to bring international players to Pakistan. The credit also goes to PCB Chairman Najam Sethi for his bold decision of holding the final of the PSL in Lahore, which later convinced the world to consider Pakistan a safe country for cricket. Moreover, the victory of Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy in London in June this year also left a good note on the community.

The ICC also announced its 14-member team, to be led by South African Test captain Faf du Plessis. The team has four other prominent names of South Africans, including former skipper and one of the key batsmen of the world Hashim Amla. Three other South Africans are Morne Morkel, Pakistan’s origin Imran Tahir and David Miller. Darren Sammy and Samuel Badree (West Indies), former English captain Paul Collingwood, Grant Elliott (New Zealand) and Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) are big names promising a competitive cricket in Lahore next month. George Bailey, Ben Cutting and Tim Paine (wicketkeeper) all from Australia are also part of the team. The presence of Australian players is significant because their country is too much touchy about the security aspects.Now it is the test of security agencies of the country to prove their competence. A pro-entertainment atmosphere must be maintained during the series and the basic rights of the public should not be breached in the name of security arrangements.

Pakistan has also announced its team. Luckiest captain of Pakistan Sarfraz Ahmad, who led Pakistan in its first mega event of the ICC Champions Trophy and won the title in England after beating India by a heavy margin in the final, will lead the team.

Last week, the Sports Board of Punjab started its 10-day long training course for the newly-appointed coaches of cricket, hockey, football, table tennis and badminton under the Chief Minister Talent Hunt Programme.

Up to 180 newly appointed coaches of these five games are attending the camp. Experts have been involved to hone the skill of coaches and they are Salman Butt, Anees Sheikh, Dr Asad Abbas and retired Maj Azhar Arif. They are experts in fitness, diet, sports medicines and psychology.

After this the same programme will also be held for five other sports.

The Dar Hockey Academy, currently in Holland to play 11 matches against local clubs there, has played six matches. Of them, the academy has won four matches. In some matches, the Dutch clubs also played with their national team’s players but the Dar Academy managed to win some of them.

In the last match, the Dar Academy registered a big win by a margin of 10-3 against the Hurley Club. Its top scorers are Muhammad Usman, Waseem Akram, Tauseeq and Aqeel, who scored goals almost in every match.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2017