Pakistan invites Indian junior team

Pakistan has invited the Indian junior cricket team to play matches in an under-19 tournament in preparation for next year's Youth World Cup to be held in New Zealand.

"So far we have not received any confirmation regarding our invitation from India but we had also asked the Sri Lankan Board to send their junior team and they have sent in their confirmation," Pakistan Cricket Board's director Brigadier Munnawar Rana was quoted as saying in The News today.

Rana said the Sri Lankans would visit Pakistan sometime in November. He added he had extended the invitations to Sri Lanka and India during the International Cricket Council meeting in London in June.

"We are hoping the Indians will also confirm, let us see what happens. But we have to ensure our junior team goes well prepared to New Zealand," he said.

India did not send their team to Karachi for the Asia Under-17 Championship last year.

Rana said Pakistan will prepare for the Youth World Cup very seriously this time as they had never managed to win this particular title. Pakistan juniors lost in the semi-finals of the last Youth World Cup held in Sri Lanka.