KARACHI, Feb 27: Reigning world number one Peter Nicol of England faces a tough draw as international squash returns to Pakistan with the Pakistan Open squash championship in Lahore next month.

Nicol, top seed for the $100,000 event, plays world number 19 Graham Ryding of Canada in the first round of the event to be held in Lahore from March 22-27.

If Nicol goes through the first hurdle then he faces either world number 11, Welshman David Evans or Olli Tuominen of Finland.

Nicol, who adopted England from Scotland last year, is likely to meet world number two David Palmer of Australia in the final.

Jonathon Power of Canada is seeded third, Scot John White fourth and Thierry Lincou of France is seeded fifth.

Sports events were badly hit in Pakistan last year following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Open, originally scheduled for November last year, was postponed due to security fears.

World number nine Paul Price of Australia and England’s Simon Parke will miss the event.

Pakistan, once a mighty squash force with Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, will have only one player in the main rounds of 24 players.

Amjad Khan, winner of the Pakistan open in 1998, has been given a wild card entry in the main rounds while three other Pakistanis — Shahid Zaman, Mansoor Zaman and Aijaz Azmat — will feature in the qualifying rounds.

Pakistan has imported a portable glass-sided court from Germany specially for the championship at a cost of 10 million rupees ($167,000).—AFP