Canada moots Pakistan tour later this year

Cricket Canada has said that it is looking at a tour of Pakistan by its national team later this year. If the plans materialise, Canada would be the second international team, after Afghanistan, to tour Pakistan after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during the Lahore Test in 2009.

"I have reached out to my counterparts in the PCB to strengthen ties between Pakistan and Canada," Cricket Canada's chief executive, Doug Hannum, told ESPNcricinfo. "We have asked for details with respect to a potential tour but have not had any formal discussions about the tour yet."

On Wednesday, the PCB welcomed Canada's interest in the tour, saying the board is working on a proposal for a series to be held after September. "PCB has thanked Cricket Canada for their interest in sending their national team to Pakistan. We believe in strengthening the relationship between the two boards," the PCB said.

Canada, an Associate member of the ICC, failed to qualify for the 2012 World T20 championships after finishing sixth in the qualification tournament in UAE. They also lost all four matches in the Caribbean T20 tournament held in January this year. Pakistan beat Canada in the group stages of the 2011 World Cup.

PCB's efforts to restart international cricket in Pakistan were hit last month after Bangladesh postponed its tour following a Dhaka High Court ordered suspending the tour on security grounds. Former PCB chairmen who met last month advised the board to focus on associate teams rather than the ten Test-playing nations in their efforts to revive international cricket.