Pakistan, Sri Lanka to play in Sharjah tournaments for next three years

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to play in Sharjah's one-day cricket tournament for the next three years, say organisers.

The twice-yearly Coca-Cola Cup suffered a setback in April when the Indian government banned its national team from competing there for three years.

Media reports said the Sharjah tournament's vulnerability to possible match-fixing may have caused the Indians to withdraw. The event attracts crowds mainly from Sharjah's ex-patriot Indian and Pakistani population.

"Although I'm hopeful India will play here again, matches involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka will create great interest," said Zahid Noorani, chief executive of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series, which runs the tournaments.

The two countries contested a 30,000 sell-out final in April, when Sri Lanka won after Pakistan triumphed in all four of their group matches. New Zealand had replaced India as the third team.

The next event, involving Zimbabwe as the third nation, will run from 26 October to 4 November, Noorani said. Prize money has been increased to US$250,000 from US$100,000, with the winner receiving US$120,000 and the runner-up US$80,000, he said.

The Emirates Cricket Board is holding an inquiry, headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, into allegations of matchfixing at the Sharjah tournament and elsewhere in the U.A.E.