Australia series: PCB to consider UAE as venue

Alam rules out postponement; says decision will be made within this month.

KARACHI: After ruling out playing their ‘home’ series against Australia in the UAE, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the option will now be considered. The development comes after a proposal from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to host the limited-overs series in the UAE. 

Pakistan were supposed to play the proposed series, comprising five One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20s, in Sri Lanka from August 13. However, the plans derailed after the country declined to host the series due to a clash with the plan of organising the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League.

The PCB had earlier ruled out UAE as an option, citing hot conditions in Ramazan, and is now searching for alternatives with South Africa, Malaysia and Zimbabwe said to be under discussion. Amid the search, the ECB put forward a proposal to hold the series.

“Like everytime we’re ready,” ECB Chief Executive Dilawar Mani was quoted as saying on the Daily Express. “If there’s an issue with the conditions then the series can be confined to six or seven Twenty20s. It can be staged after Ramazan. Both Pakistan and Australia are used to hot conditions.”

Meanwhile, the PCB Director Intikhab Alam, while acknowledging the proposal, said the board will consider the option but ruled out delaying the series as suggested by Mani.

“We will consider the proposal,” Alam told The Express Tribune. “But it’ll be difficult to alter its schedule because starting the series in late August gives us less time to give final touches to our World Twenty20 preparations. We won’t be able to have the series if it gets postponed. Hopefully we’ll reach a decision within ten days.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2012.