February 15, 2008	Friday	Safar 07, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 14: The recent tour of one of Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) key officials to Sri Lanka is aimed at developing better understanding with the other cricket boards and not to finalise the forthcoming series against Australia in the island as a neutral venue assignment.

Amidst rumours that the PCB is likely to accept Cricket Australia’s suggestion to play the series at a neutral venue due to security apprehensions in Pakistan, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Shafqat Naghmi has left on a 10-day tour during which he would be visiting Sri Lanka, India and Kuala Lumpur.

Sri Lanka has offered Pakistan to hold the series against Aussies on their homeland and is also willing to host the next Asia Cup, which is to be held in Pakistan in June this year.

Media director, Ahsan Malik told Dawn that the PCB has no plans of shifting the home series against Australia to any neutral venue and there were no two ways on the issue.

“Mr Naghmi is to visit India, besides Sri Lanka, before reaching Kuala Lumpur to develop an understanding with these cricket boards before attending a meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to finalise the future tours programme of its affiliated countries,” the media director said.

However, the media director added that Naghmi would be meeting with CA’s delegation in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the Pakistan series issue further.

Cancellation of the tour is likely to also affect the holding of two important events in Pakistan this year – the Asia Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy – which may cause huge financial losses to the PCB which has increased its non-development budget manifold with the recent recruitment of around 200 employees and renovation of different centres.