LAHORE, Oct 10: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering arranging matches to raise relief funds for the people affected by Saturday’s earthquake which killed hundreds of thousands in NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The PCB director cricket operations, Saleem Altaf, said that a final decision to this effect was likely to be taken on Tuesday.

Saleem said that the ICC was considering the options during a meeting being held in Australia which the PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan is also attending.

The ICC also expressed great concern over the loss of precious life and property and it had in principle decided to help out by organizing the matches.

The ICC had earlier arranged such matches to raise funds for tsunami’s victims.

He said that one of the options was that the ICC could hold a one-day match in Australia on Oct 21 soon after the six-day Test between the world champion Australia and World XI.

He said that the trial match between Pakistan XI and Karachi to be held in Karachi from Oct 16 in connection with trials to select Pakistan team for the forthcoming home series against England, could also be declared as a fund-raising event for this noble cause.