President gives go ahead for Pakistan tour

CRICKET: COLOMBO, Dec 27, 2008 - Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has given the green light for the national team to tour Pakistan next month in place of India, who cancelled their five-week series over the Mumbai attacks.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama announced the decision to go ahead after talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse who sanctioned the national team’s tour from January 20 to February 25, the foreign ministry said. “Minister Bogollagama is of the view that sport is an effective means of promoting connectivity between nations and thereby enhancing friendship and mutual goodwill between countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

Last week, Sri Lanka Cricket, the sport’s governing body here, said they agreed to take India’s place and ask the hosts to scrap two Twenty20 games and turn them into one day matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said Sri Lanka agreed to tour the country in place of India after playing in Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka are likely to play Test matches in Karachi, Lahore and Multan, while Karachi would also host the two proposed one-dayers. The remaining one-dayers would likely be played in Lahore.

Pakistan last played a Test match in December last year, against India in Bangalore.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik welcomed the announcement, saying: “It’s great news. It will give us some much needed international cricket and we are determined to do well.”

The director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Javed Miandad, told AFP: “Not only the cricket fraternity but the whole of Pakistan is thankful to the Sri Lankan president for clearing their tour to Pakistan.”

“I hope more and more people come to watch Sri Lanka play in Pakistan because we want to prove to the world that Pakistan is safe and secure for cricket,” he added. Pakistan last played a Test match in December last year, against India in Bangalore.

India called off their tour of Pakistan after New Delhi refused to grant the team permission to travel across the border in the wake of last month’s attacks on Mumbai, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

The PCB said it was set to lose at least 25 million dollars as a result of the cancellation but would recover some of the money by hosting Sri Lanka.

AFP