Pakistan agrees to scrap one Test in South Africa

KARACHI, April 16: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has agreed to scrap one Test during their December's tour to South Africa.

The PCB, which is pressing the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) to play three Tests in Pakistan between Oct 1 and 24, has formally accepted United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) proposals to play two Tests during the four-week tour.

A spokesman of the PCB said Pakistan will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in Zimbabwe between first week of November and first week of December. He added that Pakistan will play two Tests and five one-day internationals in South Africa between first week of December and first week of January.

"The exact tour dates still require some adjustments because the schedule upto next May is very tight as we have international commitments one after another," PCB director Brig Munawwar Rana said.

Immediately after the World Cup, starting Feb 8, Pakistan is to participate in the Sharjah Cup before hosting India between April 7 and May 20. The tour is subject to New Delhi's approval.

The spokesman further said the team, after completing its assignment in South Africa in the first week of January, will not return home but will stay back for the World Cup where it plays the opener against Australia on Feb 9 at Johannesburg.

"The current plan is that before the World Cup starts Feb 8, we have three weeks. The boys will get one week of (paid) holidays and the remaining two weeks will be spent on preparations, training and warmup matches against local sides," he said.

The reduction of one Test in Africa means Pakistan are now left with a maximum of nine Tests, if Australia agree to play three Tests in October, and a minimum of 24 one-day internationals unto the World Cup.

The PCB official said the reduction in Tests in Africa have been made keeping into consideration the World Cup.

"South Africa proposed that instead of the third Test, two additional one-dayers can be played which will benefit both the teams for the World Cup. "The proposal suited us as there is no change in playing days in South Africa," Rana said.

South Africa are again scheduled to tour Pakistan next year in November. If PCB's tit-for-tat response to Australia is taken into consideration, South Africa should play two Tests. Pakistan said earlier this week that if Australia played two Tests in October, it would also play two Tests on its return visit in December 2004. But the PCB spokesman said UCBSA had set no conditions.

"I agree on the theory of reciprocity. But South Africa's tour to Pakistan is still open as they have not set any preconditions," he said.

The PCB, earlier this week, had further argued that if Australia played two Tests in October, Pakistan would be labeled as a two-Test host nation.