LAHORE – The refusal of Bangladesh cricket team tour to Pakistan has dented the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf’s efforts for revival of international cricket in Pakistan after the terrorists attack on Sri Lankan team in 2009 near Gaddafi Stdium.
The decision will prove a big blow to Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) also in which 42 Pakistani players were ready to participate while nine players took their names back from the auction.
Earlier, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf, who was awaiting confirmation of the tour from his counterpart, had reportedly said that the board would issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) if the BCB confirmed tour of Pakistan in January 2013.  Zaka Ashraf who is presently in India has expressed annoyance at the BCB’s decision to calling off the tour second time. He said that Pakistan will 'reconsider' its bilateral ties with Bangladesh after the BCB again backed down from going ahead with the tour.
Pakistan will not sacrifice their interests for those who do not honour their words, he added. The PCB had not force Bangladesh to tour Pakistan, Zaka said. "If they don't want to come it is their own decision and we didn't force them," Zaka said. Bangladesh had confirmed the tour to the PCB and the ICC, "three times and still they backed off, Zaka added. Now their own reputation is at stake. If they don't want to respect their bilateral relationship then we will also respond in a same manner," Zaka said.  The most immediate consequences of this breakdown of relations between the two boards over the controversial tour will be felt at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) which will begin on January 18. The BPL is clashing with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the PCB is unlikely to release most of its top players for the league.
"We will take a principled stance on BPL but one thing is sure our players might not be free as we are making our own arrangements from next year," Zaka said. The PCB has started preparations for an impending tour after getting a positive response from the BCB. Tenders had gone out, inviting sponsorship bids for a series title sponsor, two co-sponsors and in-stadia advertising rights for two international matches (one ODI and one T20).
The PCB has also moved the domestic first-class Quaid-e-Azam matches, scheduled between January 7 and 22 away from the Gaddafi Stadium to accommodate the proposed matches against Bangladesh. Ashraf said, it was "almost confirmed" that Bangladesh would tour Pakistan, but found it "strange" that they had pulled out from their commitment. The PCB's efforts to revive international cricket in Pakistan, according to Ashraf, was on track. "Soon we will manage to get a better team to tour Pakistan than Bangladesh."
Meanwhile, a spokesman of Pakistan Cricket Board has rejected the Bangladesh calling off tour on security concerns termed the reason  as “inappropriate”. The spokesman of PCB commented:: “Although no official intimation has so far been received by the PCB from BCB. It is inappropriate to call security situation in Pakistan as the main reason behind this decision. A lot of cricket related activity in which many international players has participated in the matches held at Karachi and Rawalpindi held recently in Pakistan successfully and without any security issue whatsoever, which in itself reflects that the atmosphere in Pakistan is congenial for any international team visit to the country.”
BCB and Bangladesh government officials team visited Pakistan to assess the security and they left fully satisfied. Now it would only be proper for the new president of BCB to read the report submitted by that team or visit Pakistan before making any such comments on the Pakistan’s current situation.