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Lanka tour to Pakistan is on, confirms PCB chief
PCB chairman Ejaz Butt claims Sri Lanka's tour next year will certainly go ahead as the island nation's sports minister Gamini Lokuge has assured him.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: December 26, 2008 01:06 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Karachi:
"Our High Commissioner has spoken to the sports minister who has assured him the tour is on but as per government policies, it has to be cleared by the Sri Lankan foreign ministry," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt said.
He said Lokuge was assured that the tour, starting January 20, was definitely on and only the formalities needed to be completed.
"As is the usual practice the Sri Lankan cricket authorities have to get security clearance from their foreign office. The foreign office will in turn will seek assurances from our government for proper security arrangements to be made for the series," he said.
Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to play three Tests and five One-Day Internationals after India cancelled its confirmed tour to Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, which has put a big strain on relations between the two countries.
The former President of the Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee Arjuna Ranatunga had agreed to replace India but after he and his committee were sacked last week by the sports minister, the tour was under a shadow of doubt.
But Butt said Lokuge had assured the Pakistan high commissioner the tour would not be affected by the change in the interim committee.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt claims Sri Lanka's tour here next year will certainly go ahead as the island nation's sports minister Gamini Lokuge has assured him of the series getting the requisite government clearance."Our High Commissioner has spoken to the sports minister who has assured him the tour is on but as per government policies, it has to be cleared by the Sri Lankan foreign ministry," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt said.
He said Lokuge was assured that the tour, starting January 20, was definitely on and only the formalities needed to be completed.
"As is the usual practice the Sri Lankan cricket authorities have to get security clearance from their foreign office. The foreign office will in turn will seek assurances from our government for proper security arrangements to be made for the series," he said.
Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to play three Tests and five One-Day Internationals after India cancelled its confirmed tour to Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, which has put a big strain on relations between the two countries.
The former President of the Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee Arjuna Ranatunga had agreed to replace India but after he and his committee were sacked last week by the sports minister, the tour was under a shadow of doubt.
But Butt said Lokuge had assured the Pakistan high commissioner the tour would not be affected by the change in the interim committee.
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