Pakistan tour to West Indies on: WICB

Caribbean board hopeful of hosting Pakistan; negotiations underway .

KARACHI: The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has negated the impression that Pakistan’s tour of the Caribbean was in jeopardy, saying that negotiations were still going on with their counterparts to finalise plans for the series.

According to Indo Asian News Services (IANS), the WICB said, in a statement, that talks were ongoing with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“The WICB wishes to advise the media and the public that negotiations with the PCB are ongoing with regard to finalising the schedule for the West Indies versus Pakistan series,” said WICB.

“The WICB remains optimistic that the tour will proceed once arrangements are concluded, and further, the WICB looks forward to the much anticipated visit of the Pakistan cricket team.”

According to the Future Tours Programme, the West Indies were scheduled to host Pakistan from the last week of June to the last week in July, but a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and West Indies has also been planned during the time.

Pakistan were originally scheduled to play two Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s.

To avoid a clash, the WICB is reported to have asked the PCB to reschedule its tour to August but this change would have interfered with Pakistan’s own plan of hosting India and to play out the Zimbabwe series that was postponed last year.

Recently, the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said it was a tricky situation, prompting reports that the tour might be scrapped.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2013.