Pakistan hopes hosting major cricket tournament will erase worries of instability

Pakistan is hoping that hosting its first major multi-country cricket tournament in nearly 30 years will help erase worries of instability in the country and restore confidence in it as a tourism and investment destination.

The Champions Trophy, which kicks off next week, comes to Pakistan as the country battle two insurgencies and a political crisis that has sent its former prime minister and greatest cricket hero, Imran Khan, to jail.

But the government and Pakistan's cricket board believe the elite tournament of one-day games featuring the top eight teams in the world presents one of the most potent image-building opportunities in decades.

Cricket is a national passion in the countries of South Asia and a major money-spinner in neighbouring India.

"The return of global cricket is not just about hosting matches," said cricket board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who doubles as Pakistan's interior minister and security chief.

"It is about restoring pride, igniting national passion and giving back to the millions who have stood by Pakistan cricket."

Pakistan's security environment has been clouded since the U.S. war in neighbouring Afghanistan began in 2001. The country was struggling to convince sports teams to visit when gunmen attacked a bus carrying touring Sri Lanka cricket players in the city of Lahore in 2009. At least six players were injured, and visits by international teams came to an abrupt halt.

Security has improved dramatically since then in major urban centres, and cricket teams from overseas have been touring since 2018.

The Champions Trophy will be the first major tournament to be held in Pakistan since 1996 and will feature the home side and teams from New Zealand, England, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and India.

All have agreed to play in Pakistan except India, which will play its matches in Dubai, including its encounter with Pakistan, the latest in a storied rivalry.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting militant groups - charges Islamabad denies - and its government advised against sending the team across the border.

Despite the relatively improved security situation, Pakistan is still struggling to contain insurgencies in the north by Islamist militants and in the southwest by ethnic Baloch separatists. But officials say violence is limited to fringe areas.

The country is also navigating a challenging economic recovery path, buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund.