No ICC event for Pakistan until 2015

Pakistan remains in isolation as an international cricket venue with the ICC deciding not to allot any event to the trouble-torn country until 2015.

The ICC yesterday announced its events and host countries until 2015 and Pakistan does not feature in the list at all although the ICC has awarded the next two World Twenty20 Cups to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2012 and 2014.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board said Chairman Ijaz Butt had shown interest that Pakistan should be given at least one ICC event after 2012 but the ICC members didn't respond positively.

"The 2013 Champions Trophy was on the minds of the PCB but apparently nothing has happened to convince the ICC that international teams can resume touring Pakistan by next year or in 2012," the source said.

Pakistan supported the stance taken by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in rejecting the nomination of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard for the post of ICC Vice-President.

"But this didn't lead to any support from the other Asian countries on the ICC board to allot an event to Pakistan in the period until 2015," the source said.

Pakistan was stripped of the Champions Trophy hosting rights and the 2011 World Cup in 2009 after terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March last year.

"The PCB should have taken a stronger stance and officially announced its intentions to host an international event if not immediately sometime in 2013 or 2014 but unfortunately we remain isolated as an international venue," former Chairman of the board Tauqir Zia said.

However there was some good news for Pakistan cricket on the sidelines of the IC and Asian Cricket Council meetings as sources said newly-elected ICC President Sharad Pawar had told the PCB chief that he would make efforts to resume bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan as soon as possible.