Kenyan cricket team arrives in Pakistan amidst heavy security

LAHORE
The Kenyan cricket team arrived in Lahore amid tight security Wednesday, becoming the first non-Asian visitors to militancy-wracked Pakistan for more than five years.

Kenya, who reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2003 but have since failed to emerge as a top-flight cricketing nation, are set to play five matches against a second-string Pakistani team.

International tours to Pakistan have been suspended since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and injuring seven visiting players.

Only neighbouring Afghanistan, which is facing its own Taliban insurgency, has visited the country in the interim, playing a short one-day series in 2011 and a Twenty20 against second-string team Pakistan A last month.

The Kenyan team bus was guarded by eight police vans and their route to National Cricket Academy, close to the headquarters of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at Lahore’s Gadaffi stadium, was cordoned off.

PLAY FIVE ONE-DAY MATCHES

The visitors will stay in the Academy, which lies behind 14 giant gates, and will play all five one-day matches against Pakistan A at the same venue.

Kenya coach Steve Tikolo said his team wants to put all issues other than cricket aside. “Politics and whatever other issues, we don’t want to discuss. If you are a cricketer you just play cricket and we are here to play it and nothing else,” Tikolo, a former captain, told media. Tikolo added the tour could open the way for other countries to follow suit. (AFP)