India and Pakistan look towards the USA
A much-needed boost for US cricket with the news that the Indian and Pakistan boards are looking at playing matches at neutral venues
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
A much-needed boost for US cricket with the news that the Indian and Pakistan boards are looking at playing matches at neutral venues. Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan board, said:
Once again we would go to our governments for approval before finalising the venues but places like the United States and a few European countries are under consideration. We have offshore venues like Florida and New Jersey in the United States and some venues in the United Arab Emirates and we want to popularise cricket in these countries.
Given the ICC's view of the USA Cricket Association - one shared by most of the major countries who see the board as an embarrassment - this will increase the pressure on Gladstone Dainty, the embattled president, to stand down for a more internationally acceptable candidate. The alternative is for the USA to remain a cricketing backwater.
Martin Williamson is executive editor of ESPNcricinfo and managing editor of ESPN Digital Media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa