The 3rd March Lahore attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team have made cricket news headlines the world over; but for all the wrong reasons: players going on record to say they would be unwilling to tour Pak in the foreseeable future, match officials decrying the security covers given to players and officials and for the growing conviction among the international cricket community that cricket itself is in peril in this troubled country.   

In the midst of all the negative publicity that Pak cricket has received, skipper Younis Khan has made a heartfelt appeal to save Pak cricket and to promote Pak’s suit at the highest level.

“We have to convince the international community that the attack on the visiting Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore was an odd incident as our nation was peaceful and cricket loving by nature,” Kahn was reported as having said in the cricket news and added that “Our great cricketers and diplomats should join hands in lobbying for Pakistan at all fronts.”

According to Khan, not only Pakistanis, but also the International Cricket Council (ICC) should take into account the reality that cricket is a passion in the country. “Cricket is the unifying force for Pakistani nation and ICC and cricket playing nations must help in this cause. If international cricket is not played in Pakistan it will have very negative affects on the youth of the country. ICC and cricket playing nations must help us in saving our youth from going into unhealthy activities,” he said.

Younis, who has recently taken over captaincy from Shoaib Malik, is of the view that the Lahore attacks of 3 March were a bleak chapter in the nation’s sporting history and that everyone in international cricket should do their bit for furthering the cause of Pak cricket.

He touched upon the topic of India’s refusal to tour Pakistan and offered as a gesture of goodwill to tour India with his team. According to him, the emphasis at this time should be on the PCB being able to get an international team to tour Pak and on strengthening Pakistan’s domestic cricket.  

He also had an innovative idea to keep cricket alive and well in Pakistan and called upon the PCB to organise matches between the Pak national side and the Rest of Pakistan.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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