PCB in fix to compile schedule for series against Australia, New Zealand

Board trying to find ways to organise matches in just two available venues

KARACHI:  

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing a complicated situation while compiling the schedule for the upcoming home cricket season in the UAE.

The Green Caps will face Australia in October for two-Test and three-T20I series, but at the same time, Afghan Premier League will be taking place in Sharjah, which means the PCB will be only left with two venues – Dubai and Abu Dhabi – to host the matches.

After that, the Men in Green will face New Zealand in a three-Test, three-ODI and as many T20Is, at a time when T10 League will be taking place in Sharjah.

Meanwhile, England Lions are due to visit the UAE for warm-up games and that means the PCB will have only two venues to organise all the matches which might prove to be a difficult task.

Sources told Daily Express that with so much cricket happening in the UAE, PCB are also worried about the crowd’s interest in the matches as well.

The source further confirmed that board officials are not happy with the amount of cricket being played in the country as they believe that Pakistan’s Test matches will suffer the most as the audience’s interest was very limited before as well, and the venue which attracted the most crowd – Sharjah – will be busy in hosting different leagues.

Australia and New Zealand officials are currently on the tour of UAE to look after the arrangements for the series and the PCB is expected to announce the schedule for the tours by the end of this week.

When asked about the matter, PCB chairman Najam Sethi said: “We’ve an agreement with UAE cricket authorities to not host any cricket 35 days prior to the Pakistan Super League (PSL). However, they can host any league, be it their own or of any other country during our home season. With so much cricket to be played and just three venues available, I am sure it was hard for them as well to find window for so many leagues.”

 

When asked about whether Pakistan players will take part in the UAE T20 league, Sethi said: “We will decide whether we will give players No Objection Certificate (NoC) or not for the series when the time will come.”