International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice have arrived in Lahore on Tuesday morning on a two-day visit, to discuss Pakistan’s participation in this year’s 50-over World Cup in India. During the visit, the International Cricket Council’s top officials will hold meetings with Chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director), PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials.

Barclay is the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008. While, Mr Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan, first as ICC General Manager – Cricket and then as ICC Chief Executive. This will also be the first time since October 2004 when both the top two ICC officials will together visit the Pakistan cricket headquarters. At the end of the visit, the PCB will provide broadcast quality video clip of the ICC Chairman and ICC Chief Executive, which the media will be free to use for editorial purposes.

The tense political relations between India and Pakistan has seen both nations suspending their bilateral cricketing ties for a decade, but both have regularly competed in the ICC events. India has already declined to tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September. In the meantime, Sethi has proposed a hybrid model to the Asian Cricket Council in which Pakistan would host only four games – not featuring India – while the rest of the tournament will be organized at a neutral venue.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP