'Indians should have been bold' - Hanif Mohammad

Former players and cricket officials from Karachi have voiced disappointment about the city not being allocated a Test match against India, and have vowed to lodge a protest over the decision.

The final itinerary was announced on Saturday, and Karachi and Peshawar will only host one-day matches for security reasons.

Hanif Mohammad, the former Pakistan captain, said he was saddened by the decision. "I am disappointed - the Indians should have been bold enough to play in Karachi which is the premier centre of the country."

Sirajul Islam Bukhari, the secretary of the Karachi City Cricket Association, told the AFP agency that, "The PCB had knelt down before India and by not including Karachi as the Test venue have taken dictation from the BCCI." But the Indian Board said that the decision to drop Karachi and Peshawar over security fears was taken on the Indian government's advice, following a visit by a three-member delegation which assessed security in Pakistan last week.

A suicide-bomb blast outside their team hotel, which killed 12 people, forced New Zealand to abandon their tour in May 2002. Bangladesh played a Test and a one-day game in Karachi and one Test in Peshawar last year, but South Africa and New Zealand refused to play at both venues because of security concerns.

Bukhari said that his association's officials will meet the provincial governor to lodge a protest, but he ruled out a boycott of the one-day game scheduled for Karachi on March 13. "Boycott would be a drastic decision," he admitted, "and in the best interest of the country we would not boycott the only match given to Karachi."