PCB names officials as ICC withholds umpires

KARACHI: Pakistan appointed a local umpire who survived a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team for their home series against Zimbabwe after cricket’s governing body refused to send officials.
Ahsan Raza, now 40, will officiate during the series featuring two Twenty20s and three One-day Internationals against Zimbabwe, who are set to become the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan in six years.
Major cricketing nations suspended tours to Pakistan following the March 2009 assault on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.
Raza suffered multiple bullet wounds and fought for his life for over a month.
Pakistan said Aleem Dar, Shozab Raza, Ahmed Shahab and Khalid Mahmood would also officiate along with Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin. Azhar Khan has been named match referee for all games.
Pakistan appointed the officials after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said earlier Sunday it would not send its elite panel neutral umpires. “The ICC today advised the PCB and ZC that it will not be appointing its match officials for the upcoming series. The ICC’s decision has been made after receiving a report from its security consultant,” the council said in a statement.
The world body said it decided in April that the mandatory requirement of neutral umpires for international matches would be waived due to security conditions in Pakistan should the series with Zimbabwe go ahead.
It gave assurances that the matches would still be considered official fixtures.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has said it received confirmation from Zimbabwe Cricket that the tour would go ahead.
The tourists, expected to arrive early Tuesday (tomorrow), will play two Twenty20s (on May 22 and 24) and three ODIs (on May 26, 29 and 31) — all in Lahore.
Zimbabwe had suspended the tour on Thursday following an attack in Karachi which left 45 people dead, but reversed the decision 24 hours later.
Pakistan have been playing their home matches at neutral venues.
Ticket sales for the series started on Saturday, with police conducting a dress rehearsal of security arrangements.
Pakistan government has promised Zimbabwe security similar to that offered to a head of state, with 6,000 officers involved.
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirmed the tour to Pakistan against the advice of the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).
The board’s final decision came after three days of debate, which began on Thursday when ZC issued a press release suspending the tour and 20 minutes later sent an email retracting it.
In the interim, the PCB had told journalists that ZC had been in contact with it and had reassured that the tour would take place as scheduled.
Several players were hesitant to make the trip, with a few even considering pulling out, but concerns over the impact that would have on the future of their careers forced them to change their minds, reported ESPNcricinfo.
All 16 squad members, which includes six returnees and one new cap, have agreed to travel to Pakistan.
Associate teams Afghanistan and Kenya have toured Pakistan in recent months.
Zimbabwe have been promised VIP security which includes armed guards, an armed vehicle escort and helicopter monitoring of their travel in Lahore.
A delegation of ZC officials visited Pakistan in the first week of May for a thorough explanation of the measures that had been put in place to protect the players and were satisfied with what they were shown.
Despite that, the international player body FICA said their security report revealed that the risks of touring Pakistan were “unmanageable.”
The series will be Zimbabwe’s first post the 2015 World Cup and first without Brendan Taylor in seven years.