The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Sindh Sports Minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah to postpone the visit of World XI to Pakistan later this month due to lack of coordination, planning and security arrangements. “We have received a letter from Sports Minister of Sindh Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah informing PCB of a visit of World XI to Pakistan and a request herewith for making the national team available for the matches to be played on May 25-26, 2012,” it said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Responding to the request, PCB spokesman said, “Hosting an international team is a meticulous job and requires a huge amount of planning and groundwork on security and other aspects of the visit to organize it in a befitting manner,” it said. “In this case, we have not been involved from the outset. Moreover, the national team is busy in preparations for the Sri Lanka tour. “Keeping in view the prevailing circumstances PCB has suggested to postpone the match for a mutually agreed date in future,” the statement concluded. The World XI team, headed by West Indian Alvin Kallicharan, was expected to land in Karachi on the May 24. Reports said that the World XI team would be comprising 6 South-Africans, 4 West Indians and 1 Sri Lankan player. With respect to Australian players, the source stated that negotiation with 2 Australian players was also underway. Earlier, Bangladesh had shown clear intent of touring Pakistan but they pulled out of the tour at the last moment. This Cricket event would revive the sport within the Pakistani region since 2009 when the Sri Lankan team received heavy gun fire on their bus which resulted in injuries to Sri Lankan player Thilan Samaraweera.
