Pak was keen on playing Twenty20 game in Woolmers memory

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it wanted to play a Twenty20 game against India to raise funds for an academy established in memory of Bob Woolmer, but was unable to fit such an event in a extremely busy international schedule.

Karachi, July 20 : The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it wanted to play a Twenty20 game against India to raise funds for an academy established in memory of Bob Woolmer, but was unable to fit such an event in a 'extremely busy' international schedule.

"We really want our team to play for such a good cause, but the problem is that our international schedule is so congested that it is really difficult to find a slot for another match," Dr Ahsan Malik, PCB's Director of Communications, told 'The News'.

Malik confirmed that the PCB had received a letter from Woolmer's widow Gill in this regard.

"We think we owe it to Bob, he was our a coach and it would be great to contribute towards the Bob Woolmer Academy. But as much as we have tried, we cannot find a way to fit in any benefit game against India," he added.

Woolmer, 58, passed away on March 18, a day after his team was stunned by underdogs Ireland in Kingston (Jamaica) and knocked out of the World Cup. The Jamaican Police launched a murder investigation in his death but several weeks later announced that the former England Test cricketer died of natural causes.

A cricket academy was formed in his name in the South African city of Cape Town - Woolmer's adopted home. Woolmer's widow had earlier proposed a Twenty20 game between Pakistan and England in England this summer but the idea could not be realised because of England's busy schedule.

The Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September and Pakistan's tour of India in November-December mean that the two rivals would be at the same place for several weeks this year.

But both Pakistan and India are unlikely to agree playing in a Twenty20 game ahead of the T20 World Cup because of the fact that they have been drawn in the same group in the 12-nation contest.

The fund-raiser can take place during Pakistan's tour of India later this year but Malik pointed out that there are already insufficient rest days adding that the two teams would get busy in the three-match Test series as soon as the five one-dayers are over.

ANI