LAHORE,  Dec 3: Pakistan Junior cricket team’s proposed  tour to  Australia before participating in the World Cup could not  be materialised due to preoccupation of the Australian team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was planning to  send  the Pakistan  Junior team to Australia before it would take  part  in the World Cup to be held in New Zealand from Jan 15.

The  PCB director Munawar Ahmed Rana told Dawn  Monday  that the Australian Junior team had chalked out its own programme to prepare for the World Cup.

He  said  that  the Pakistan Junior team  had  gained  good practice for the World Cup after playing five one-day home series against  Sri Lankan Junior which toured Pakistan from Nov 15  to 27. Pakistan won the series convincingly 4-1.

The Pakistan Junior team, he said, now would directly  reach New Zealand, four or five days before the start of the World  Cup there.

He said that a training camp for the Pakistan Junior team was to be started at Rawalpindi from Monday.