LAHORE, Dec 17: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to formally invite Sri Lanka team to visit Pakistan in place of India, whose scheduled tour to Pakistan in Jan-Feb now appears an impossibility due to the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Well-informed sources told Dawn that though the PCB’s first priority was still India, the time was running out fast and the Board needed to look for alternatives to avoid cricketing and financial losses.

Sri Lanka Cricket President Arjuna Ranatunga has already offered to send his team for the tour in case India backs out of the series and this has come as huge boost for the cash-strapped PCB following a barren cricketing season in 2008.

A high-level meeting of the PCB was held here on Wednesday to discuss the latest development about the Indian team’s tour to Pakistan and to exchange ideas on plans B and C.

While a tour by the Sri Lankan team will not exactly compensate for the financial losses to be incurred by India’s pull out, it will go a long way in convincing the international teams about Pakistan as a safe venue for cricket.

Hopefully, after hosting Sri Lanka successfully, the PCB will be in strong position to convince Australia to tour Pakistan in April-May and to organise the ICC Champions Trophy in September 2009. — Sports Reporter