SHARJAH OF THE EAST

Malaysia hoping to host Pakistan cricket

by Tristan Lavalette • Published on

The Kinrara Oval in Malaysia has played host to several U-19 tournaments. © Getty

Mahinda Vallipuram, Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president, believes the probable return of elite international cricket to Malaysia would be a boon for the sport in South-East Asia.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) contingent led by chairman Najam Sethi travelled to Malaysia recently to scope the cricket infrastructure in the Associate nation. Potential scheduling conflicts with emerging T20 leagues in the UAE has forced the PCB to look at alternative options in hosting international matches as Pakistan continues to play the bulk of their matches away from home.

Pakistan is due to host Australia and New Zealand later this year in series comprising Tests and limited-overs matches. Cricbuzzunderstands the tours are set to be held in the UAE but a women's ODI series between Pakistan and Australia is likely to be played in Malaysia later this year. The women's series would be a chance to gauge the infrastructure and Malaysia's ability to stage elite international cricket.

A PCB spokesperson told Cricbuzz it "wasn't in a position to confirm" those proposed series.

Vallipuram said discussions were "ongoing", including possibly for Malaysia to host matches in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). "We certainly would like to host events here," the MCA president told Cricbuzz. "We are open to hosting as we have venues and other required infrastructure. It (the PCB's visit) was an opportunity to discuss how Malaysia can be a venue for Pakistan. It would be great to host Australia and New Zealand, two great cricketing countries.

"We would love to host Pakistan in some way, perhaps even matches in the PSL or women's cricket," he added.

Malaysian cricket authorities have long attempted to lure Pakistan, who have been cricketing vagabonds since the late 2000s. Earlier in the decade, Malaysia was in the running to become a home base for Pakistan but lost out to the UAE.

However, the countries have maintained ties with Malaysia's national team last year going on a 10-day tour of Lahore, which consisted of five matches across the shorter formats against a National Cricket Academy Youth XI.

Vallipuram believed Malaysia had the requisite facilities to host top-shelf international cricket, which has been played there occasionally over the years - notably at the Commonwealth Games in 1998. Perhaps its biggest showpiece was a triangular ODI series featuring India, Australia and the West Indies in 2006. Malaysia has also hosted the Under 19 World Cup in 2008 and last year's Under 19 Asia Cup.

Malaysia's main cricket ground is the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur, an internationally recognised stadium, while a major sports stadium is being developed in Johor Bahru near the border of Singapore.

"We have shown we can host international matches and I think we have a very stable environment," Vallipuram said. "We have lights at Kinrara Oval, which could host a day-night Test. Malaysia is an ideal destination as we have good hotels, transport and logistics.

"Malaysia is especially convenient for time zones," he added. "We are only a few hours ahead of the sub-continent, Australia is only two-three hours (eastern time) ahead and the UK is only six-seven hours difference."

Vallipuram said semi-regular international cricket, a kind of 'Sharjah of the East', would fuel cricket development in the region. "Having Pakistan playing in Malaysia and major matches staged here would be a tremendous boost to cricket in South-East Asia," he said. "The game is growing steadily here but the exposure of major international cricket would fuel the uptick of the sport. Malaysia is a good hub for the Asian region."

© Cricbuzz

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