UAE, Pakistan

From TJ, New Zealand
I am concerned for Pakistani cricket. I'm concerned for cricket in general - the only good news in recent times being Sri Lanka cricket's recent decision vis-a-vis the ICL, but I'm concerned most for Pakistani cricket. It was after all the Pakistani fast bowlers of the 1992 World Cup that made me fall in love with this game.

There are many ills to the game in that country, and like other subcontinental nations they seem cursed to endure incompetent or self interested bureaucrats being in charge. I don't expect that to change any time soon. Neither do I expect the violence that plagues their country at present to subside. Violence that will surely continue to deter teams from touring there. This means either we don't see any more Pakistan matches, or we see the ICC force play. Neither is acceptable. We want to see Pakistan matches, but we don't want to see them play opponents who are in fear for their lives.

This is why I suggest that the Pakistani cricket board re-locate to the United Arab Emirates. There is a seizable Pakistani diaspora in the UAE who I'm sure would appreciate the opportunity to watch regular cricket. And of course, there are no major security concerns in the UAE. If the Pakistani team and board is based in the UAE, in addition to saving money on travel costs to attend ICC meetings, they can work with the local UAE team to help them towards more success.

Finally, I'm sure any self-interested bureaucrats will enjoy the lifestyle Dubai offers (or the more conservative Sharjah if that's more to their taste).