 | United Arab Emirates likely ‘home’ again for Pakistan
08 June 2012
|
| 
LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representative Intikhab Alam, deputed to assess the facilities at Malaysia and UAE, had reached Dubai after visiting Malaysia on Wednesday night to monitor and assess the facilities available for the Australia series, it has been learnt.
Intikhab will meet the Emirates Cricket Board chief Dilawar Mani and other officials to assess the facilities to be provided to the Australians during Pakistan home series to be played in United Arab Emirates.
Intikhab spent two days in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and inspected the facilities at the Kinrara Academy Oval. He also inspected hotels around the venue. It is being said that he will spend two days in the UAE before returning to Pakistan.
Pakistan are to engage Australia in five One-day Internationals and three Twenty20 games. But if the series were to be held in the UAE, there is a possibility that the schedule could be changed. “Nothing is confirmed yet. We are still in the process of finalising the venue,” a source said.
Earlier, the PCB has shortlisted two neutral venues, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates to host the series. The PCB did not want to postpone or delay the series and want to play the series at neutral venues at any cost while on the other hand Australia is also willing to play the series around August 15.
Another official said that Intikhab, PCB Director of International Cricket, and PCB’s Inernational Relations Manager Usman Wahla will hold talks with the ECB. The UAE has been Pakistan’s home venue since 2009 but with the series scheduled in August, the PCB has been looking at different venues other than the UAE, because of the searing temperatures in the region.
Emirates Cricket Board chief Dilawar Mani said that having a late start to matches will counter the heat factor. “We have made them a proposal. We can have a late start to games. We could start matches at 8pm,” he said. The PCB will finalise the venue after receiving report from Intikhab who is due to reach in Pakistan within a couple of days.
Earlier, Mani has shown interest in hosting the series as the PCB had declined to think about UAE as neutral venue due to severe heat in desert. But after receiving offer from Mani the PCB has looked at Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to host the series.
But it now looks like UAE is back on the radar with Mani’s proposal of having a late start to matches. The choice of venues has narrowed down to two with the UAE and Malaysia in the running. Sri Lanka was originally supposed to host the series but withdrew later as the dates clash with the Sri Lankan Premier League. | | See Also in Sports News
|
|  ICC no-balls Asad Rauf sans proof
24 May 2013
Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has been withdrawn by the ICC from officiating in the upcoming Champions Trophy in England following media reports that indicated he was under investigation by Mumbai Police.
"In the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting an investigation into Asad Rauf's activities, we feel that it is in Asad's best interests as well as those of the sport and the event itself, that he is withdrawn from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy," Dave Richardson, the ... Full Story |  India spot-fix scandal 'shameful': Sports minister
24 May 2013
India's sports minister on Thursday branded as "shameful" the spot-fixing scandal involving the arrest of three cricketers, including Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, and 11 bookmakers. Police last week arrested Sreesanth and teammates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila from the Rajasthan Royals, accusing them of deliberately bowling badly in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars.
"It is very shameful. As a young person, as a sports fan, as the sports minister of the country, my head ... Full Story |  No Vettori for Kiwis as they bid to hold England
24 May 2013
Daniel Vettori's hopes of making a return to Test cricket in New Zealand's series finale with England in Leeds ultimately came to nothing after he was ruled out on Thursday. Former captain Vettori hasn't played a Test for nearly a year, mainly because of Achilles trouble, and was only originally selected for the one-day leg of this tour.
But a calf injury suffered by his fellow left-arm spinner Bruce Martin during New Zealand's thumping 170-run first Test defeat at Lord's saw Vettori make an ... Full Story | |
|
|
|
