PCB approaches India, Sri Lanka for ODIs if Australia pulls out

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series with India and Sri Lanka if Australia cancels its Pakistan tour in March-April.

Lahore, Feb 16 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series with India and Sri Lanka if Australia cancels its Pakistan tour in March-April.

According to sources, there is a strong possibility of Australia cancelling its tour of Pakistan for security reasons.

"Doubts about whether Australia will come for their first tour in nearly a decade have increased day-by-day over the last week, the latest coming from Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain," the Daily Times quoted PCB sources, as saying.

The PCB has approached Sri Lanka Cricket and the Indian cricket board to play ODIs in Pakistan in case Australia cancel their tour," the PCB sources added.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi and International General Manager Subhan Ahmad have met with the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket board officials to persuade them to play ODIs in Pakistan.

In their meeting with the BCCI's Rajiv Shukla and Lalit Modi, the three-match ODI series in Pakistan and the ICC Future Tour's Programme was reportedly discussed.

The PCB officials also met Sri Lanka Cricket chief Arjuna Ranatunga to convince him to play ODIs in April. Sri Lanka is due to tour West Indies in May.

However, both the PCB and the BCCI have officially denied these meetings.

ANI