NZ, Zimbabwe offer to play matches for flood victims

[WAQAS119]

NZ, Zimbabwe offer to play matches for flood victims

LAHORE: New Zealand and Zimbabwe have shown interests in playing cricket matches against Pakistan to raise funds for flood-affected people.


Sources told Dawn that New Zealanders were ready to play matches in Pakistan or at any neutral venue to generate funds.

Similarly, Zimbabwe has also informed the PCB about its willingness to play matches in Pakistan.

The PCB is also trying to hold a charity match during the ongoing series against England and another one against South Africa when two teams meet in UAE to play Test and ODI series in November.

Both New Zealand and Zimbabwe have not shown any concerns about security arrangements in Pakistan and just want to play to help the flood-affected people, the sources said.

However, the PCB has not given any reply to both the boards and it wants to get approval from provincial and federal governments first.

The international cricket in Pakistan has been suspended since March 3, 2009 after terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore.

If the PCB gives green signal to the interested countries it can end drought of international cricket in Pakistan.

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Love you Zimbabve [EDIT] Not Newzealand!!!!!!

 

[Super Falcon]

Agreed time have come to make positive steps to buildup donation and cricket in pakistan but pcb has to go with this sensibly i think T 20 will be going to be played and for sure generate more money

 

[SMC]

Don't think so about New Zealand. Can't see them being willing to come to Pakistan. Only Zimbabwe is confirmed.

 

[Hyde]

well New Zealand is something new for me........... Zimbabwe has shown interest in playing Pakistan and PCB also confirmed that they received the proposal (like we read in another thread)

There was another news couple of months ago in which Bangladesh too expressed their desire to resume cricket in Pakistan and they were playing to come along!

Seems like cricket is coming back to Pakistan!!!

New Zealand is very very shocking news for me - other countries are understandable

 

[Super Falcon]

i also searched the news about NZ but found nothing about them not sure they have offered or not i think it is just a rumor but yes zimbabwe will come if pcb ask them but pcb should be 500 percent sure about security plan that it is full proof with help of rangers or police i dont thnk so would be enoug we should make a security plan that rangers and along with SSG member should be coming in convoy with both the teams put some soldiers on the bus too

 

[SMC]

I don't think we should allow cricket at this time. There only needs to be a small incident near the team hotel to make the things from bad to worse. They don't need to attack the team - they just need to be showing intent to attack the team by getting close enough to them. I don't think RAW will be missing this opportunity.

 

[Pak123]

Cricket boards offer to help Pakistan

A number of cricket boards have offered to help Pakistan raise relief funds for the people affected by the floods that have devastated the country over the last month. Some of the offers, including one from New Zealand cricket, could simultaneously help bring international cricket back to the country, which has become a no-go destination after the terror attacks on the Sri Lanka in Lahore in March 2009.

The worst floods in living memory have ravaged Pakistan, submerging an estimated one-fifth of the country, affecting up to 20 million people and causing over a thousand deaths. The country's already stuttering economy is likely to face greater pressure once the flooding recedes and the process of rehabilitation begins in full. International aid is finally starting to come in, though the response was initially sluggish.

The PCB has been doing its bit and is keen to organise a flood relief game in England while the national side is touring the country, though the busy itinerary has not yet yielded a date or venue. The board also donated over Rs 11 million (approximately US$130,000) for relief efforts and players have contributed match fees while on tour. Salman Butt dedicated his side's third Test win at The Oval to victims of the floods and said that the side would be attending fund-raising dinners and events on tour. Separately Shahid Afridi, the ODI and T20I captain, and Aleem Dar, the elite panel umpire, have also helped with relief efforts and raising money. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has also started a fund-raising campaign.

Strauss also confirmed that England had followed their opponents' lead by donating to the Pakistan flood relief effort. "We're donating a proportion of our match fee to the fund," he said. "It's a humanitarian catastrophe out there and we're trying to help as much as we can. The more people who do that the better."

The biggest contributions might come from flood relief matches, however, and as well as the proposal for a match in England, the board has been working on other options. One reportedly includes arranging a game during the series with South Africa in the Middle East in October-November this year. There were also reports that the board had sounded out the BCCI over the possibility of such matches at a neutral venue, but the PCB has not elaborated on this. One other option has come from New Zealand who have offered to help by playing in a flood relief game, even if it means playing a game in Pakistan, though this is still in a very early stage.

"An offer has been made by New Zealand cricket to help with the devastation in Pakistan, maybe through a flood relief game," Nadeem Sarwar, the PCB media manager told Cricinfo. "It is at a very early stage just now but they have even said they would be willing to come to Pakistan if needed for that."

Zimbabwe has also offered to tour to help raise funds. The PCB had been working on a series with Zimbabwe in any case, Sarwar said. Any such visit is now likely to include a match for flood relief. "Yes, they have made a formal contact with us and we highly appreciate their [Zimbabwe's] noble gesture for supporting the cause. They have asked us to provide them with suitable dates for the series," Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told News One TV.

Since the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers, matches from the 2011 World Cup matches have been moved out of Pakistan. The national team has since had to play 'home' series at neutral venues such as the UAE and England but there is now a concerted effort within the ICC to find ways to revive international cricket once again in the country. The ICC is considering sending over an ICC World XI to Pakistan and the options of Zimbabwe and New Zealand are likely to further boost that effort.