LAHORE, Jan 26: Pakistan has expressed its inability to hold the Asia Cup in September, 2006, as was proposed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director cricket operations, Saleem Altaf told Dawn on Thursday that after a thorough study of the proposal, the hectic activity programme ahead in 2006, forced the board not to hold the event this year.

ACC secretary Ashraful Haq made a proposal to all the four Test playing countries of Asia, early this week, to inform it about their availability for the Cup in September, 2006.

The event was to be held in March this year in Pakistan but was deferred for 2007 on the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

But the ACC again came up with the new proposal to hold the event this year after Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan in September had been cancelled in the wake of Zimbabwe’s decision of not playing Test cricket for one year for domestic reasons.

“The PCB decided to give some rest to the players ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in India (in October), therefore, we are not ready to host Asia Cup”, Saleem said.

The Pakistan team has a non-stop cricket schedule till next year’s World Cup to be held in the West Indies.