September 24, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 23, 1429

LAHORE, Sept 23: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has signed a contract worth Rs750 million with Dubai Sports City for a three-year series.

This was stated by Shafqat Naghmi, Chief Operating Officer of the PCB at a news conference, also attended by the Director Media Mansoor Sohail, at the Gaddafi stadium on Tuesday.

“Under the recently signed contract, the Pakistan team will play different events at the offshore venue for three years after completion of Dubai Cricket stadium next year,” Naghmi said.

He added that the stadium is likely to be completed in February after which a tri-nation tournament involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be played there in April 2009.

Naghmi said the next two years programme in Dubai includes the Pakistan’s participation in Twenty20 events.

“It is a lucrative contract which will help in overcoming the loss after postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy,” said Naghmi adding: “Through this deal we will be generating enough funds besides having a definite programme for our team’s participation in international cricket.”

He said he has signed the contract subject to approval of the coming chairman of the PCB as at the time of signing of the contract the PCB was without a chairman after the resignation of Dr Nasim Ashraf.

He said the West Indies have not yet replied to the PCB proposal to play a two-Test series in Pakistan in November after playing three One-day Internationals in Abu Dhabi.

“We are awaiting their reply and there is one proposal in the pipeline to have the Test series at the offshore venue (Abu Dhabi) in case the West Indies board is not willing to send its team to Pakistan owing to security concerns,” he asserted.

“The Test series will be a financial loss to the PCB but what is important to make sure that our team plays Test cricket before the important home series against India early next year,” he said.—APP