LAHORE: Top officials of Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are visiting Pakistan in the next couple of months to discuss bilateral relations including resuming of international cricket in the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) managing director Wasim Khan told Dawn here on Thursday that while CA chairman Earl Eddings and chief exective Kevin Roberts are scheduled to visit Pakistan in July, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison is expected in August.

“Of course the main focus of the PCB in discussions with these officials will be to convince them to send their teams to play international cricket in Pakistan,” Wasim said. “England have to play Pakistan in 2021-22 and Australia in July 2022 and it is right time to start the negotiations with them to come and play in Pakistan instead of in UAE.”

Wasim further said he along with PCB chairman Ehsan Mani would be in Singapore on May 26 to attend ICC meeting there and on its sidelines, negotiations would be held with the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) t to come to Pakistan and play upcoming series scheduled for September to October this year.

He said they were in similar talks with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) chief executive over it sending a team to play some matches in Pakistan next year.

Moreover, Wasim, who recently returned home after visiting England said he had started negotiations with the ECB on exchange programme under which, Pakistan’s top-ranked domestic umpires, coaches and Under-19 players would get opportunities to hone their skills by performing at the Second XI County Championship in England.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2019