NEW DELHI, Sept 14: Pakistan’s chances of hosting the Champions Trophy next year improved on Sunday after the Indian cricket board said it was willing to adjust its calendar for the sake of the crisis-hit tournament.

The Indian board, which had objected to the event being held in October 2009 as it clashed with its one-day series with Australia, said it was open to “minor adjustments” if other boards involved were flexible as well.

“There is no question that all the boards would like the Champions Trophy to happen,” board secretary Niranjan Shah said.

“We are willing to look at an adjustment by a few days if everyone else involved is equally flexible,” he was quoted as saying by the Cricinfo website.

The Indian board will also have to change the dates of the Champions Twenty20 League, a multi-million dollar inter-club competition slated to be held from September 25-October 11 next year.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat is expected to visit member boards in a bid to get to them to shift their bilateral events to accommodate the Champions Trophy.

“It’s a tough task for Lorgat, but he has emerged as someone who has the ability to build a consensus,” ICC sources were quoted as saying by the website.

“He has two to three options to work on and if the boards relent on the dates, as some of them promised in Dubai last week, the dates of the tournament will be finalised next month.”

The Champions Trophy, the second biggest tournament after the World Cup, was due to be held this month but was cancelled due to security concerns in Pakistan.

The ICC said the event would take place in October 2009 with Pakistan remaining the first-choice venue pending a security assessment.—AFP