KARACHI, Oct 21: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said on Sunday that that they are engaged in talks with the boards of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and several other cricket-playing countries to send their teams here for the real revival of international cricket.

Zaka said his optimism stemmed from the successful staging of two unofficial Twenty20 matches here on Saturday and Sunday with an International World XI taking on Pakistan All Star, the first international encounters in three-and-a-half years.

“For this we have also presented our security plan to some of the boards. What ruined the Bangladesh team’s plans on touring Pakistan earlier this year due to some irresponsible statements from the Punjab government is also behind us now as we have been assured by the Punjab government that they will give the PCB full cooperation in the matter of giving security and extending hospitality to the visiting teams,” he said.

“God willing, we will soon be able to share some good news regarding visits by other teams with our cricket-loving nation,” he added.

“I think these matches, despite being private, are a good step and PCB supported and encouraged these matches and they generated a lot of enthusiasm from the fans, which is a good sign.”

International cricket was suspended in Pakistan after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, prompting foreign teams to refuse to tour the country over security fears.

The suspension of international cricket forced Pakistan to play ‘home’ series at neutral venues in the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and England over the past three years.

About the Pakistan Premier League, the chairman said that Javed Miandad and his team were working very hard on making it happen by March 2013.

On Majid Khan and rumours about him getting a big post in PCB soon, Zaka said that neither was Majid interested in anything of the sort, nor was the PCB planning anything like it.

“Majid was a great cricketer and is a good person and we respect him a lot but there is no reality in these rumours about his joining the PCB,” he concluded.