'Cricket will return to Pak'

After visiting the training camp of the Chinese cricket team at the National Cricket Academy here Butt said the Pakistan Cricket Board was working on a systematic plan to convince international teams to visit the troubled-torn nation.

“I am very hopeful that we can get back international cricket in Pakistan sometime next year,” the PCB chief said.

Pakistan is presently playing host to the Chinese team which is preparing for the Asian Games and also an Under-19 Bangladesh academy side.

“Our idea is that we must encourage associate member countries to send their players and teams over to Pakistan for training or to play matches,” Butt said.

“Once we can get associate members to send players and teams regularly to Pakistan then the big nations will also follow soon. The idea is to convince the outside world that Pakistan can host international matches despite prevailing situation,” he said. Butt said PCB was happy with the fact that ICC associate members were more than willing to utilise the cricketing facilities in Pakistan.