- “Sri Lanka series is the culmination of the hard work done behind the scenes,” says PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani
- “I had no qualms about touring Pakistan since Sri Lanka Cricket’s security team was satisfied with the safety plans put in place,” says Lahiru Thirimanne
- “Every player is eager to perform in front of the home crowd,” says Sarfaraz Ahmed
- Fourth edition of weekly PCB Podcast is available here
- The podcast also includes review of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and an update on national women’s one-day championship
- Urdu media release is attached here
Lahore, 26 September 2019: In this week’s edition of the PCB Podcast, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani reflects on the efforts made behind the scenes efforts to make the Sri Lankan tour happen.
Speaking to the PCB Podcast on the day Sri Lanka arrived in Karachi, Mani said: “This is going to go down as a proper tour since the Sri Lankans are going to play two different formats in two different cities. After a long time a team is going to be in Pakistan for a substantial period as the Sri Lankans will be in the country for 13 days.
“This is the culmination of hard work which has been done behind the scenes. This is the first step and we look to build on this tour as this will give more confidence to other nations to tour Pakistan.”
The PCB chairman also said the board’s focus is to host all international home series in the country.
“We are firm on our stance that we will host our international cricket in the country,” Mani said. “If we don’t take a firm stance, there will always be pressures on us to host international cricket at neutral venues.
“We had Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Kevin Roberts and head of security Sean Carroll in Pakistan less than a week ago and they returned very satisfied.
“Next week, we will be having CA chairman Earl Eddings, before a delegation from the English and Wales Cricket Board, comprising their chief executive and a director, travel to the country.”
Click here, for PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani’s full interview.
After arriving in Karachi ahead of the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Lahiru Thirmanne, the captain of the touring side, said he looked forward to taking the leadership role, while adding that this series provides a brilliant opportunity for the youngsters to cement their places in the national side.
“I am eager to perform and lead from the front,” said the 30-year-old top-order batsman. “This is an opportunity for the youngsters to cement their place in the side.”
“I had no qualms about touring Pakistan since Sri Lanka Cricket’s security team was satisfied with the safety plans put in place. I also consulted the Sri Lankan players who had toured Pakistan in 2017 and then I spoke to my family.
The series, to be played at Karachi’s National Stadium, is the first instance that Sarfaraz Ahmed will be leading the national side in ODIs on the Pakistani soil.
Reflecting on the preparations for the series and the mood in the camp, the wicketkeeper-batsman said: “Every player is eager to perform in front of the home crowd. No team is a weak opposition in international cricket. We are taking this series very seriously and look forward to give our best against Sri Lanka.”
The PCB Podcast also includes updates from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which enters its third round from Saturday, and National Women’s One-Day Championship 2019.
