The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed to host the forthcoming “home” series against Australia in the UAE in the months of August and September 2012.
According to sources, both countries have agreed in principle to play three ODIs’ and three Twety20 matches in the UAE. This, despite the ICC sanctioning six ODIs’ under “exceptional circumstances”.
However, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has once again expressed its reservations. “The ACA continues to have concerns about the weather conditions expected in the UAE at the time of the proposed series”, Paul Marsh, the CEO, said exclusively from Melbourne.
“Now that the PCB and CA have agreed to a schedule of matches, we will undertake a process to assess whether or not these conditions in UAE will provide a safe environment for the players to play cricket in”.
“This will be inclusive of consultation with various experts and a pre-tour visit to the venues”, Marsh added.
Sadly, there is no active association for Pakistan cricketers, their players have not been kept in loop.
According to the sources in Pakistan cricket, all three UAE venues will host the six matches. “Abu Dhabi being costlier than other two venues and more expensive in terms of hotel accommodation etc; we have proposed only one Twenty20 match at Abu Dhabi. Rest all the matches have been proposed to be played at Dubai and Sharjah”.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the ODIs’ will be tried and scheduled during Fridays and Saturdays, the weekend in the UAE. “We are trying to schedule the ODIs’ on Fridays and Saturdays, which are holidays in the UAE. This is to garner more public inside the stadia and hence more generation of revenue for the PCB ”. “We also expect the Pakistani media groups, coming here to cover the matches, to have a late night dead-line so as to report the match results to the common Pakistani here in our country”, said Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman.