Mumbai: Kumar Sangakkara will lead a Marylebone Cricket Club side on their tour of Lahore in February to help Pakistan in their bid to convince touring sides to return to play Test cricket in the country, the club said on Wednesday.
The MCC, which was founded in 1787, will play a number of matches in the city in February after its World Cricket Committee voiced support in seeing touring sides return to Pakistan at a meeting held at Lord’s in August.
Pakistan is currently hosting Sri Lanka in a two-match series, their first Tests on home soil since the 2009 militant attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore left six security personnel and two civilians dead and six players injured.
Other teams refused to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns and the side were forced to play home Tests at neutral venues in the UAE.
Former Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara said: “It is hugely important to support cricket in countries such as Pakistan, and the PCB has done a tremendous job in rebuilding the international cricketing landscape since the tragic events of 2009.”
