Sparsholt opening batsmen and ex Kings and Peter Symonds student George Potter has recently visited Pakistan as part of the Lancaster University Cricket team. They are the first international side to visit the Country since 2009. George’s account of his trip follows below.

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to play cricket for Lancaster University in Pakistan as a part of the University's 50th anniversary celebrations. A T20 tournament was arranged at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore between ourselves and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology. COMSATS are a partner university of Lancaster, and alongside our team their seven campuses from around Pakistan took part in the four day event. The tournament was rounded off by us taking on the Pakistan U19 side, World Cup finalists from March, live on Pakistani TV.

Although we didn’t win a match and I didn’t score too many runs over the course of the week, I can safely say this was the most extraordinary and memorable sporting experience I will ever have. To play in one of the world’s great cricket stadiums and in front thousands of fans was a huge privilege, and gave us a taste of what professional cricketers experience on a weekly basis. I’ve played on some decent pitches in the Southern Premier League and Hampshire Cricket League but none of them compare to the bounce and pace of the Gaddafi Stadium!

We were given a lesson in cricket and also in how to treat other human beings and guests. On the pitch, the Pakistani sides play an extraordinary aggressive, positive brand of the game, underpinned by enormous natural talent. Off it, the people of Lahore were the best hosts any visiting side could wish for: welcoming, helpful, friendly and courteous.

Naturally, a tour of this nature comes under a wider bracket than simply cricket. Parts of Pakistan are troubled by terrorism, and no international side has visited the country since the attack on the Sri Lankan national team in 2009. The number of armed guards with us at all times was testament to the ever-present security threat but acted as a safety net rather than an unnerving presence. Pakistan is desperate to see international cricket return to its shores, and few countries share the passion for the game as they do. Games of cricket take place on every spare bit of grass young kids can find, with the equipment consisting of just an old plank of wood, a tennis ball and a concrete slab for the wickets.

The people of Pakistan were incredibly pleased to see a foreign side come to their country and play cricket. Some young people we met had never met ‘white’ people before, and our visit even attracted the attention of senior politicians and Pakistani test players. Every day during our visit we were followed by the written and TV press - seeing yourself on TV being interviewed whilst wearing traditional Pakistani dress is quite surreal!  This was all perplexing and humbling given we are just a bunch of average students!

As for the Pakistan U19s - well they’re quite good! Watching them up close gives you a great impression of their quality and dedication. Somehow we had them 20-2 but they ended up on 204-5, and that’s after bowling and fielding quite well! To play some of the best young players on the planet was an honour, and it is entirely possible we’ll all be watching some of them in test cricket in a few years’ time.

Our visit and the tournament as a whole helped bring the two universities together. If it can in any way improve the image of Pakistan abroad and help return international cricket to Pakistan then it will have been very worthwhile. The cricketing experience has only heightened my excitement for the forthcoming season. It may be colder and greener in Hampshire than Lahore, but let’s hope the cricket is just as fun to play. I look forward to playing for Sparsholt over the coming months - the league season is just a week away!