'Disappointed' PCB shifts series to Sharjah

Pakistan Tuesday said it has agreed to shift its forthcoming series against West Indies to Sharjah but added that it would lodge a protest to the game's ruling body International Cricket Council (ICC).

"We have accepted West Indies demands of playing at a neutral venue. But that doesn't mean we agree with them. I will write to the ICC and probably will also talk to Malcolm Gray Wednesday," chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia told Dawn from Rawalpindi.

He added:"I am bitterly disappointed because I feel that the conditions in Pakistan are perfectly normal and peaceful. I also believe a wrong precedence is being set."

The series at neutral venue will be played in February and will comprise two Tests and three one-day internationals. No warm-up games will be slated in the revised itinerary which will be released in due course of time. A Test has been reduced to curb the financial losses.

It will be the third time in the 123-year history of Test cricket that Tests would be played on neutral territory. In 1911, South Africa and Australia played in England while Pakistan and Sri Lanka contested the 1999 Asian Test Championship final at Dhaka.

Nevertheless, Tauqir stressed it was a one-time decision and shouldn't been taken as first priority by any board.

"I would not play against Australia (in September) on neutral territory. We agreed to Sharjah this time because we were running out of time. Had we delayed the decision, it would have compounded problems relating to logistics, sponsorships and television rights."

The PCB supremo admitted that he had also considered the option of cancelling the series against the once mighty West Indies who are now the whipping boys of international cricket.

"Yes, I did think over cancelling the series. But then it would have spoiled our good relations with the West Indies board," he said.

He revealed that he took the decision after consulting President General Pervez Musharraf who is also the Patron of the PCB.

"I discussed the issue at length with him. He gave me the authority to take the decision which I thought would be in the best interest of Pakistan cricket," the General said.

Tauqir said he made a last ditch effort Sunday to pursue his West Indies counterpart Wes Hall to change his stance. "But the WICB remained apprehensive about security.

"I know that I will not be able to make much from this series. But then something is better than nothing. My team is starving for international cricket."

The West Indies board had made a flimsy excuse in October 1999 when they cancelled a scheduled tour saying their players were committed to appear in a domestic competition.

The recent WICB demand makes little sense in the background that England have agreed to play an extra one-day international in India despite the fact that border situation between the two countries was at its lowest ebb.

"Surprisingly, they are not scared of the tension between Pakistan and India. Their main concern remains Afghanistan and Osama Bin Laden who, they think, was a threat since he has not been arrested," he said.

The PCB had guaranteed West Indies players as much security guarantee as any host board could possibly give. It is deplorable that the WICB didn't trust its counterpart which has never raised security concerns wherever it plays.

"I am still willing to play India anywhere. And when I say anywhere, it means even in India," he said.

Tauqir said Pakistan would send his own curators sometime this week to prepare pitches.

Sharjah has hosted 181 one-day internationals. But has never organized a first-class match.

Reuters adds from Sharjah: Mazhar Khan, administrator of the Emirates Cricket Board, said his board was "honoured and delighted" to be hosting the series. "We have a very short time to prepare, but then we are pretty experienced in hosting matches," he said.

"Sharjah has already played host to 181 one-day matches so far and the experience will come in handy. It will be an historic moment for us when we host the first Test match here."