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Pakistan to start hosting Test matches again, a decade after attack
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials on Saturday told the Associated Press that Pakistan is ready to host international cricket tournaments again after more than a decade of having no home Test matches.
In 2009 a deadly terrorist attack was carried out on visiting Sri Lanka’s team bus, which brought an immediate halt to matches being hosted in Pakistan.
Now however, Pakistan is ready to welcome major cricketing nations to their country, said Wasim Khan, chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
He said top teams, including South Africa, New Zealand, England and the West Indies are expected to play in Pakistan next year.
“We’re working hugely in terms of building relationships, nurturing those relationships with (other) cricket boards,” Khan, told The Associated Press.
South Africa is due to visit Pakistan in January to play a two-Test series which is part of the World Test Championship, followed by three Twenty20s.
According to the report New Zealand is penciled in for three ODIs and five Twenty20s in September, followed by two Twenty20s against England in Karachi. It will be England’s first tour to Pakistan since 2005.
The PCB also plans a home series against West Indies in December.
“We’re also in discussions with Cricket Australia. They’re due to be touring during the 2022 season, we’re looking at them coming for an extended period of time.” Khan said.
When Sri Lanka’s team bus was attacked in March 2009, the doors of international cricket remained shut on Pakistan until Zimbabwe became the first Test-playing nation to play limited-overs series, at Lahore in 2015.
Meanwhile, Khan said that he also wants to organize a limited-overs series against Afghanistan sometime next year.
This comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricket captain for the country, visited Kabul and extended an invitation to Afghan national team this week.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
Eleven people shot dead at shrine in Baghlan
Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan
U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies
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