'Pakistan should continue making efforts to revive international cricket at home'

Karachi, Apr 25 (ANI): Former PCB CEO Arif Ali Khan Abbasi has said that Pakistan should continue to make efforts to revive international cricket at home after Bangladesh suspended its proposed brief cricket visit to the country.

Describing the suspension of proposed Bangladesh's visit to Pakistan as "great let down", Abbasi said he was as much disappointed as any other Pakistani cricket fan after the proposed visit was suspended for reasons other than cricket.

He added that Pakistan should not lose heart and start looking for other available avenues to revive international cricket which had come to a halt after March 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Appreciating the bold initiative taken by the PCB to invite Bangladesh, Abbasi said he would not say selection of Lahore as venue where attack had taken place on the Lankan team thwarted Bangladesh's tour, The Nation reports.

Abbasi said Pakistan was caught in a tricky situation now and it had to be overcautious in taking moves in the future to invite foreign team.

He said personal diplomacy and contacts made at the highest level and discussion with officials of various boards and contacts with influential individuals outside the cricket establishments should be applied in a circumspect manner to encourage teams to come to Pakistan.

Abbasi identified Zimbabwe as one of the team that should be approached and convinced. (ANI)