PCB top brass meets next week to fill ‘gaping hole’

Pakistan’s cricket bosses will meet in Lahore on September 13 to decide on a series that is aimed at filling in a gaping hole left in their international programme because of the postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy.

The International Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) met here on Wednesday to discuss the scenario following the postponement of the Champions Trophy which was to be played here from September 12 to 28 and announced that the issue would be sorted out in a meeting of the PCB Board next week.

The International Committee that is headed by Syed Ali Raza asked PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi to prepare a comprehensive report on the ‘options’ Pakistan have to fill in the gap left by the shifting of the Champions Trophy to next October.

In what is already a very lean year for Pakistan cricket, the postponement of the Champions Trophy because of security concerns has left them desperate for international cricket.

Senior PCB officials planned a tri-series in South Africa this month in a bid to provide their cricketers some international game and also to boost the Board’s bank account that has been depleted by lack of world-class cricketing action at home.

But Ali Raza said that the PCB is weighing all its options.

“Nothing is finalised yet,” he told reporters after the meeting of the international committee. “We have several options and will weight all pros and cons before taking a final decision (in the Executive Board) meeting on September 13,” he added.

Pakistan’s options include the tour of South Africa to play either a triangular tournament or a bilateral series. Then they are exploring the idea of having a bilateral series in Abdu Dhabi or a bilateral series of a three-nation event at home.

Naghmi said that Pakistan just a 20-day window to chalk out an international assignment for their players as almost all Test-playing nations will get busy with their prior international commitments after October 1.

Naghmi, who attended Wednesday’s meeting as a co-opted member, informed the committee about an invitation received by the PCB from the president of Cricket South Africa (CSA) for a series there.

However, the proposed series is yet to be confirmed because CSA is yet to find any sponsor or broadcaster for it. Sri Lanka, who were supposed to be third side, are also yet to confirm their participation.

Ali Raza, a senior banker, chaired the meeting of the committee that also includes Ijaz Butt, Lt General (retd) Munir Hafiez and Zakir Khan (co-opted member).

Ali Raza said that the committee was convinced that the Pakistani team needs international games and told the PCB officials to take all possible steps to set up a series either at home or abroad.

Pakistan were left without a single Test in 2008 after Australia refused to tour the country earlier this year, citing security fears. The PCB had to set up home games against minnows Bangladesh, who were the only Test-playing team that agreed to tour Pakistan on a short notice.

According to officials, the PCB has suffered from major losses in 2008 because of the postponement of the home series against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy.