Pakistan Still Want To Host Tours, Says Butt

Pakistan still want opposition sides to tour their country despite Tuesday's attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore, said cricket board chairman Ejaz Butt.

Butt, speaking to Reuters by telephone from Pakistan, also said his team would definitely tour Sri Lanka in July and that he did not fear any retaliatory attacks.

"We cannot predict these incidents," he said in an interview. "We can say we will make every effort to give teams the very best security like we did in Karachi during the first test that passed without incident.

"If some people don't want to come that is their wish and we cannot blame them but we still hope to get our friends to come and play in Pakistan."

Gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's bus with rifles, grenades and rockets, wounding six players and a British coach, while it was being driven to the Gaddafi stadium for the third day of the second test against Pakistan.

SIX KILLED

Five policemen and a bus driver were killed in the attack and the test match has now been cancelled.

Butt, who replaced Nasim Ashraf as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board last year, said the attack could have occurred anywhere.

"This incident was out of our control and these kinds of incidents can happen in any country, in England, in India, anywhere," he said.

"Let's hope we can convince people and improve security.

"We will definitely be going to Sri Lanka. We will have to wait and see about the results of the investigation as to who was responsible for this incident but I don't see why any Sri Lankans would wish to harm the Pakistan cricket team," added Butt.