PCB 'conditionally' willing to move series to Australia

A top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has confided that an easy option would be to play the series against Australia in Australia, but conditionally.

"Pakistan would never agree to play against Australia in a third country," the official said, adding that for us this option remains unacceptable.

He pointed out that Pakistan would lose both the home advantage and substantial revenues should a home series be shifted to a neutral venue.

However, PCB officials are willing to consider the option of 'conditionally' allowing the series to be moved to Australia.

"We can think about this option, only if the return series (between Pakistan and Australia) is allocated to Pakistan," The News quoted the official, as saying.

Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive, floated the idea of transferring the series to Australia to save it from a cancellation.

According to the ICC Future Tour Programme, Pakistan are to pay a return visit to Australia in December 2008.

"We can think about sending our team to Australia in March-April next year only if the Australians agree to play the return series in Pakistan next December," said the official.

Meanwhile, a three-day exercise to try out about 22-24 young cricketers in Karachi from January 9-11 ahead of the home series against Zimbabwe is likely to be postponed because of the prevailing situation in the country.

A PCB official said that the trial matches might be moved to some other dates if the current turmoil continues.

The Board was planning to try out several of their players, who are knocking at the doors of international cricket during the brief camp. (ANI)

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