Look for neutral venues, ICC tells Pak

Karachi (PTI): With no team willing to tour Pakistan, the International Cricket Council has advised the troubled country to consider playing its home series at neutral venues to sustain the game here.

"If Pakistan manages to play at neutral venues like Dubai, Ireland, England or elsewhere it would be too good for all us," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat was quoted as saying by 'The News'.

Pakistan lost the right to co-host the 2011 World Cup after the ICC Executive Board ruled that the country was not safe enough to conduct the quadrennial event. The ICC's decision came in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attack on the Sri lankan cricketers.

Even before that, the country had been virtually isolated in international cricket with teams like Australia and India refusing to come here. Pakistan was also stripped of the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy.

"The problem is that nobody wants to come to Pakistan. We in the ICC are trying our best to keep Pakistan playing at neutral venues by telling the other nations to fulfill their commitments," Lorgat said.

"Pakistan must admit that the leg of a chair is broken.

Then they would be able to fix it and find a place to be seated, otherwise, by crying or not admitting that the leg is broken wouldn't help Pakistan to manage its cricket affairs," Lorgat said. link...