LAHORE: Pakistani cricket authorities have planned to purchase bulletproof buses for the international cricket teams, to encourage them and to put forth an end to the boycott prompted by the foreign players against militant attacks.

The international cricket teams have avoided touring in Pakistan over the last three years since the militant attack happened in March 2009 in Lahore on Sri Lankan cricket team bus.

Since then, Pakistani players have been playing their matches abroad. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been attempting to bring back international cricket matches again to the country. Now, PCB hopes international cricket matches can be revitalized as early as possible, following the staging of exhibition Twenty20 matches in Karachi involving International World XI last week.

The board also said it has plans to construct a stadium with better security arrangements in Islamabad.

In a statement PCB said that to make sure best security procedures for international teams, it has unanimously permitted the purchase of  bulletproof buses and to construct a high-security stadium with 50,000 capacity. This stadium would be the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan and PCB has acquired a piece of land measuring 35 acres (14 hectares) in Islamabad.

The governing board of PCB said the new stadium and the hotel complex would hopefully be ready for use next year. In the meeting, a budget of Rs.12.5 million was approved for the up gradation and the construction and development work of the compound wall around Abbottabad stadium and green slopes to facilitate the viewers.

Also, there was a brief in the meeting about the building of Islamabad stadium and the board has decided to name the stadium after Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

Apart from looking at only the security protocol, the PCB has been working on identifying potential new venues for international cricket across the country and upgrading them to international standards.