The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has downplayed concerns voiced by the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) on the arrangements for the series between the two teams to be staged in the UAE.
Pakistan will ‘host’ three One-Day Internationals and as many Twenty20s in August and September with hot weather a major concern. However, in order to minimise the heat effect, the ODIs in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi have been scheduled to be night games and will finish past midnight local time.
However, the ACA expressed its dissatisfaction again, stating that the schedule created ‘a whole new set of safety issues.’
“Are there any safety issues of playing sport at that time of the night?” asked the ACA Chief Executive Paul Marsh. “If you’re standing there facing someone bowling at 150kph, are you going to be more tired at that time of day than you [otherwise] would be? Can they adjust their sleep patterns to play at that time of day? There are all of those things we have to look at.”
However, a PCB official close to the matter said that Cricket Australia (CA) was taken on board before finalising the schedule.
“There are no issues in the arrangements,” the official told The Express Tribune. “Professional cricketers acclimatise with different conditions and also overcome jetlags so this won’t be a problem for them. It’s not just about Australian cricketers as Pakistan players will also play in the same conditions. We would have never finalised it if there were concerns with the arrangements.”
The official added that despite being granted special permission by the International Cricket Council’s on holding six Twenty20s for the series, the PCB included ODIs after a request from broadcasters and sponsors.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2012.
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