Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) hierarchy that his party’s long march will not affect the first test match between Pakistan and England which will be held at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from December 1st-5th.
Khan’s long march is set to reach Rawalpindi on 26th November, a day before England’s test side reaches Pakistan for the series.
Faizabad or Allama Iqbal Park which are seen as the likeliest destinations of the march are in very close proximity to the Pindi Cricket Stadium which raised concerns for the safety of the players.
PCB considered shifting the first Pakistan Vs England test to Karachi before sticking to the original schedule.
Ramiz Raja and British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner recently met Imran Khan at the Zaman Park in Lahore Tuesday where the former cricketer assured the two that no unsavoury incidents will occur during the match.
England players had raised their concerns about the issue with their captain Ben Stokes issuing a statement on their behalf, putting his trust in their security chief who recently visited Pakistan to review security measures.
The eventual T20 World Champions recently visited Pakistan for a seven-match T20 series that went without a hitch.
A successful staging of test matches against England will bolster Pakistan’s chances of getting more international sides to visit the country for which an unblemished series is of paramount importance.
Both teams have already announced their squads for the three-match series.
