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PCB may arrange series with Lanka if India cancels tour
Faced with the prospect of India cancelling its tour here next year, the PCB has started making attempts to arrange an unscheduled series with Sri Lanka.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: December 14, 2008 11:06 AM IST
Read Time: 2 min
Karachi:
PCB sources confirmed that senior officials are in touch with the President of Sri Lanka Cricket to discuss the series.
"Pakistan board has more or less lost hope of India getting clearance from its government to tour Pakistan or even play the series at neutral venues," one source said.
"The Chairman of the board, Ejaz Butt, has also returned from India without any positive assurance from his Indian counterpart because of the strained relations between the two countries," the source added.
Another source said Pakistan was now trying to arrange something against Sri Lanka although it was already scheduled to tour the pearl islands later in the year under a confirmed Future Tours Program series.
"The modalities of if and when the Lankan team can be available to play in Pakistan is being discussed as the Sri Lankan board also wants to generate some revenues," the source said.
Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka for a ODI series last year but the Lankans didn't respond positively. But they promised to tour Pakistan for the one-dayers early in 2009.
The source pointed out that chances of Sri Lanka agreeing to the unscheduled series had improved as their players were also free from Indian Premier League and Champions League commitments.
"This is one reason why the national selectors have been told to carry on their work and watch the players' form and fitness in the ongoing Pentangular one-day tournament in Karachi," the source said.
Faced with the prospect of India cancelling its tour here next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board has started making attempts to arrange an unscheduled series with Sri Lanka.PCB sources confirmed that senior officials are in touch with the President of Sri Lanka Cricket to discuss the series.
"Pakistan board has more or less lost hope of India getting clearance from its government to tour Pakistan or even play the series at neutral venues," one source said.
"The Chairman of the board, Ejaz Butt, has also returned from India without any positive assurance from his Indian counterpart because of the strained relations between the two countries," the source added.
Another source said Pakistan was now trying to arrange something against Sri Lanka although it was already scheduled to tour the pearl islands later in the year under a confirmed Future Tours Program series.
"The modalities of if and when the Lankan team can be available to play in Pakistan is being discussed as the Sri Lankan board also wants to generate some revenues," the source said.
Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka for a ODI series last year but the Lankans didn't respond positively. But they promised to tour Pakistan for the one-dayers early in 2009.
The source pointed out that chances of Sri Lanka agreeing to the unscheduled series had improved as their players were also free from Indian Premier League and Champions League commitments.
"This is one reason why the national selectors have been told to carry on their work and watch the players' form and fitness in the ongoing Pentangular one-day tournament in Karachi," the source said.
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
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