After ICC snub, Pak falls back on terror survivor
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 for six years.
Major cricketing nations suspended tours to Pakistan following the March 2009 assault on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, which killed eight people and injured seven visiting players.
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. NO NEUTRAL OFFICIALS Pakistan appointed the officials after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said earlier Sunday it would not send its elite panel neutral umpires. “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.