March 12, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1429

LAHORE, March 11: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a positive response to Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) invitation to tour Pakistan after Australia on Tuesday deferred their tour for an indefinite period.

PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf told Dawn that BCB sent him an email message saying that they would try their best to tour here next month.

World champions Australia were to visit from March 29 to April 28 to play two Tests, four One-day Internationals and one Twenty20 game here.

“The response from Bangladesh is very encouraging for us and we thank Bangladesh for the gesture,” the chairman said. “The BCB will confirm the tour after completing the required procedure at home and I am hopeful of positive reply from them.”

Bangladesh are playing hosts to South Africa until March 22, leaving them with enough time to prepare for the Pakistan tour next month.

The chairman said that the PCB was offering them only five ODIs as the holding of Tests would result in extending the tour.

“We need at least 18 days to hold two Tests and a three-day warm-up match, which may not be possible in such a short time frame. A one-day series will also prove beneficial as far as the commercial aspects are concerned,” the PCB chief added.

He said that the PCB and the BCB enjoy very cordial relations and Pakistan has already confirmed its participation in a three-nation tournament to be hosted by Bangladesh in June.

When asked about PCB’s financial losses due to the postponement of the series against Australia, the chairman said it would be rather premature to make any comments on that.

“As the tour has only been postponed and not cancelled, we are hopeful that they may still come to Pakistan. Therefore we can’t give any figure for the losses incurred,” he said.

“But it is heartening for me to know that Cricket Australia has expressed their desire for the PCB to suffer no losses as a result of all this and look forward to touring here in the near future. It shows that they are still willing to tour Pakistan.”

However, sources said that the PCB is likely to suffer a financial loss of $5 million to $6 million.

Upon a question about the status of insurance, which the PCB had bought against the Australian tour, Dr Nasim said that the PCB would be seeking legal opinion from its lawyer regarding the matter.