Pakistan to lose $0.4m as Malaysian triangular is cancelled

Karachi, Jan 2: Pakistan once again suffered financial losses owing to India's policy of avoiding their neighbours in the cricket field when the triangular one-day series in Malaysia was cancelled.

The tournament was to run between Jan 28 and Feb 9. Home country would have been the third nation.

The cancellation of the tournament resulted in a loss of $400,000 which Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was to get as guarantee money. The PCB has already suffered a loss of $15 million because of called-off India's tour to Pakistan for three Tests and five one-day internationals.

A high ranking official of the PCB admitted that Pakistan was willing to play the Malaysian triangular series stressing that it would have assisted in promoting the game and also helped Pakistan tune-up for the tour to New Zealand.

"But India's recent policy of not playing Pakistan is damaging the game. Naturally, we will take up the issue at February's International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting at Melbourne," the official said.

Malaysia had taken the initiative to organize the tournament after India had announced on Nov 15 last year that it would not tour Pakistan.

The series was also not clashing with the two country's international commitments. Australians are due to arrive in India on Feb 14 while Pakistan is scheduled to leave for New Zealand on Feb 12.