Pakistan Cricket Board planning to bid for ICC events between 2023-31

The Pakistan cricket team has gradually resumed playing matches at home, with South Africa becoming the latest team to visit for a series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to bid for the ICC events soon.

International teams stopped visits to Pakistan after the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in 2009. Since then, the Pakistan cricket team had to host their home tours in the United Arab Emirates.

However, with improved security levels, teams like Zimbabwe, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have played games in Pakistan. Even the ICC World XI visited the nation for an exhibition T20I series a few years ago.

Recently, Pakistan hosted a few ICC World Test Championship matches and the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. PCB's chief executive, Wasim Khan, disclosed the Pakistan cricket-governing body's target to bring the ICC events back to the nation.

Talking to reporters on Saturday (January 23), Khan said:

“By October-November this year, we will submit our application to bid ICC events between 2023-31. We have shown interest in seven to eight ICC events and for that, we need to work hard. We are focused and preparing our portfolio for a strong bid."

‘We will bid for ICC events by Oct-Nov this year’ Wasim Khan#ARYSports https://t.co/pEhFU6IMHI

— ARY Sports (@ARYSports_Web) January 23, 2021

Wasim Khan expressed his excitement over the South African team's Pakistan tour. He added the board planned to invite more countries to the nation in the Future Tours Program 2023-27.

Pakistan Cricket Board lost the hosting rights of some big events due to safety reasons

Babar Azam is the captain of the Pakistan cricket team

The Pakistan Cricket Board had lost the hosting rights for multiple ICC events following the top teams' reluctance to visit the nation.

They were the hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008 and the co-hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. However, the organizers shifted the games to other venues.

KYA SCENE HAI?CRICKET KA SCENE HAI! On your screens from 26 Jan - 14 Feb! #PAKvSA #HarHaalMainCricket pic.twitter.com/L2npoX1LMh

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 23, 2021

It will be interesting to see if PCB could secure the rights of a big competition in the coming years. The last time Pakistan hosted an ICC level tournament was back in 1996 when they were the Cricket World Cup co-hosts with Sri Lanka and India.