Proteas okay tour to Pakistan with a revised itinerary

South Africa have reversed their decision to cancel a tour of Pakistan after the hosts offered a revised itinerary, the United Cricket Board...

South Africa have reversed their decision to cancel a tour of Pakistan after the hosts offered a revised itinerary, the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) said on Tuesday.

“It has been decided in principle that the tour will go ahead,” UCBSA spokesman Moabi Litheko said. He said the decision was taken at a meeting of the management committee of Cricket South Africa (CSA) in Johannesburg.

Karachi, Peshawar solution needed: Miandad

KARACHI: Pakistan coach Javed Miandad has urged cricket officials to find a permanent solution to the problem of foreign teams refusing to play in Karachi or Peshawar for security reasons. Miandad said: “I think this situation cannot go on for long. Karachi and Peshawar cannot be isolated as international venues.” He urged the International Cricket Council to find “a logical solution” to the problem.

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South Africa captain Graeme Smith and coach Eric Simons also attended the meeting. South Africa had initially been scheduled to play three one-day internationals and three Tests, at Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi, between September 26 and October 27, but the revised itinerary drops one of the Tests.

“That will be thrashed out in the next day or so,” UCBSA media manager Gerald de Kock said. South Africa will now tour Pakistan from October 1-28 to play two Tests and five one-day internationals, PCB sources told in Karachi.

Latif may miss Pak captaincy

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif, who ended a five-match ban at the weekend, has been warned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to act more responsibly if he wants to retain the captaincy.
Latif was banned for five one-day internationals by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Mike Procter after Bangladesh lodged a complaint about a disputed catch during the third day of the third Test in Multan on September 5.
“He (Latif) is holding a responsible position and fair play from him is necessary,” PCB chief Tauqir Zia told reporters on Tuesday. “He has to show more responsible behaviour.” Reuters

The Pakistan board proposes that the five one-dayers will be staged before the two Tests, which are to be played at Lahore and Faisalabad. The one-day games will be held in Lahore (2), Rawalpindi (2) and Faisalabad.

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“It is satisfying that the South Africans are coming, as far as the tour is concerned,” PCB chairman Tauqir Zia said. “But I am not happy with the venues. I desperately wanted Karachi and Peshawar to be included in the revised tour itinerary.” The Pakistan tour was given a final go-ahead last week, but the UCBSA then decided to call it off because of a bomb blast in Karachi on Friday. (Reuters)