ISLAMABAD: The chief executive of Cricket Australia on Sunday cleared the uncertainty surrounding the bilateral series with Pakistan and said they were “very committed” to touring the South Asian nation in March next year.
Australia are due to play three Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty-20 International (T20I) in the month-long series starting March 3.
The three Test matches are scheduled to be played in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, while the three ODIs and one T20 will be played in Lahore.
“We’re working closely with the PCB, working with all the authorities to make sure that those plans are set. It’s a really big complex endeavour. We’re very committed to touring,” Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley was quoted as saying by Fox Sports Australia.
“It’ll be the first time in many, many years, so at the moment we’re going through the post reports of that. But it’s absolutely our intention to tour as long as it’s safe to do so.”
Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 because of security concerns. A Cricket Australia team recently completed a trip to Pakistan to ensure the tour is safe, according to the report.
Hockley said it was their every intention to play in the South Asian country.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja earlier this week expressed confidence that Australia, England and New Zealand would tour Pakistan next year.
“We have made the world realize about our presence at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings,” Raja said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was due to send its men’s and women’s team in October, but withdrew because of “concerns” over its players’ mental health while traveling to Pakistan.
The ECB pulled out of the series just days after New Zealand Cricket said it was abandoning its series in Pakistan following a “security alert” by its government.
The news came as a shock to Pakistan, which has been struggling to revive international cricket that was suspended in the aftermath of a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
Cricket Australia 'very committed' to tour Pakistan in March
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Cricket Australia 'very committed' to tour Pakistan in March
- Nick Hockley says they intend to tour Pakistan 'as long as it’s safe to do so'
- Australia are due to play three Tests, three ODIs and one T20 starting March 3
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
