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Malcolm Gray, President of the International Council (ICC) hoped that his visit would help normalize cricket activities in Pakistan and its relations with India.

Gray was talking to reporters on arrival here on Thursday to attend a two-day ICC Development Committee Meeting to be held in Lahore on Dec 7 and 8.

The ICC chief who later flew to Islamabad in the afternoon said that he would be meeting President General Pervez Musharraf, Patron of the PCB, later in the evening. "This might be a small step and we at the ICC would love to see cricket relations between the two countries normalize so that we can resume our programmes."

Pakistan pins its hopes on Gray's visit to restore normal cricket to the country badly hit in the post September events of last year and its deadlock of the cricket activities with its neighbour India.

It may be noted that Pakistan has only staged two Tests since the post September 2001 events, which sparked security concerns in and around Pakistan.

The ICC boss said that there were two separate issues of his visit, one is to attend the ICC Meeting and then to meet President Musharraf and the High Commissioners of Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.

"I will discuss a wide-range of issues with the President, but security will be the top priority and then I will be able to get a better understanding about the security position in the country. I hope that as a result, International cricket will be back in Pakistan," Gray went on to add.

The West Indies and Australia refused to tour Pakistan due to security reasons and Pakistan was forced to play these series in neutral countries earlier this year.

Before that the New Zealand team had to cut short their tour to Pakistan. in May, following a bomb blast which occurred outside their hotel in the port city of Karachi.

Pakistan hopes that India will tour Pakistan in April-May next year, although India continues its boycott of bilateral cricket with its neighbour, alleging that Islamabad is responsible of creating trouble in Indian administered Kashmir.

The South Asian giants whose cricket series generates great and frenzied interest on both sides of the border, have not met each other on the cricket field since June 2000, when Pakistan beat India in the Asia Cup in Dhaka.

"We at the ICC have no powers to control relations between two feuding nations. However, we would do everything in our power to influence those relations which would be good for sports," Gray said.

India and Pakistan are due to meet each other in a World Cup match in South Africa in March next year. India will be bound to play since this is an ICC event. "We believe that sports can help relations improve India and Pakistan and hope the Indian Government will have the same view as well.

Commenting on giving compensation to Pakistan over the financial losses incurred due to the cancelled tours, Gray said that he had no news on that front, that they should go through the legal process and if it has been processed legally there has been no actual hearing about that subject.

When asked about the Indians not naming their provisional 30 players for the World Cup within the due dates the ICC Chief said that this is only a preliminary squad and is not important. He said the Indian squad will name their team in a few days.

When asked how did the ICC react when Pakistan visited Zimbabwe for their series although some top teams thought it was just too dangerous to visit over there during the World Cup, Gray said that the ICC was most appreciative that Pakistan toured Zimbabwe under extreme security concerns.

"I will encourage other countries to treat seriously the Pakistan claims to come here", he said.

When asked about the security conditions in Zimbabwe, Gray said that recently a delegation had visited Zimbabwe ahead of the World Cup and that security report has yet to be finalised.

© Dawn