Pakistan offer to host South Africa in UAE

South Africa has decided not to tour Pakistan later this year for a series of three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 over security fears, but the Pakistan Cricket Board has offered to host the series in the UAE.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said that South Africa's cricket board had offered to play the matches in South Africa, but that proposal was turned down by Pakistan because it wasn't cost effective.

"South Africa were supposed to tour, but because of their security fears they declined to come and that's why we have offered them to play this full series of Tests, one-dayers and a Twenty20 (in October and November) at the neutral venue of the Emirates," Butt told AFP.

"If we play the series in South Africa, it would have incurred losses to us, so we hope they will agree to our proposal."

Pakistan only recently played a 'home series' against New Zealand in New Zealand, squaring the three Tests 1-1. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have regularly hosted one-dayers and Twenty20s involving Pakistan in the recent past after teams refused to tour Pakistan due to the volatile political and security situation in the country. The Sri Lankans were caught in the crossfire when their team bus was attacked in Lahore last March during a Test match. That incident further jeopardised Pakistan's prospects of hosting international teams and the ICC responded by stripping Pakistan's hosting rights in the 2011 World Cup.

Pakistan's next Test assignment is in England where they play Australia, another series shifted out of Pakistan over security fears. They are scheduled to play four Tests against England on the same tour.