The organisers who had earlier confirmed the arrival of a World XI to play two matches in Pakistan have postponed the two Twenty20s and will now work with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on revised dates.
Sindh Sports Minister Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, in association with the U.S-based company Xtreme Sports, had roped in renowned current and former cricketers for the matches scheduled for May 25 and 26.
The cricketers who the organisers claimed to have confirmed included former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Paul Adams, Andre Nel, Richard Levi and Jerome Taylor.
The organisers requested the PCB to allow the matches to take place at the National Stadium Karachi (NSK) and also sanction the national team. The event, according to the organisers, would have created a better image of the country, which has been facing a drought of international cricket since March 2009.
However, the PCB refused to be part of the plan and said that hosting international cricketers was a huge task, which needed careful planning.
The officials went on to request the organisers to postpone the series, a move that has been confirmed by Shah.
“The matches will now be held after the tour of Sri Lanka that ends on July 13. The tentative dates are July 14 and 15 but it will be finalised after consultation with the PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf,” Shah said.
However, according to sources, the organisers took the decision after the PCB changed its stance.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board , after looking at the potential in the event, wanted a role in the matches,” an official said.
“Earlier, the company approached the PCB before going to Dr Shah to arrange these matches but they refused. We were left with no choice but to postpone as the PCB is the game’s governing body in the country and we don’t want any tiff with it but want to host these matches in a befitting manner,” he added.