Thursday, February 7, 2008

Australia`s Pakistan tour limited to four cities:


KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to limit Australia's tour, which is under threat due to security concerns, to four venues, an official said on Wednesday.The proposed March-April tour will take place in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad.A senior PCB official said other venues, including Peshawar, Sheikhupura and Hyderabad, were not proposed due to organisational and financial aspects, while Rawalpindi stadium was being renovated."We want them to play at the big venues where matches can be organised smoothly and there is a bigger financial turnover," Zakir Khan, director of cricket operations said..Australia are scheduled to play three tests, five one-day internationals and twenty20 match on their first tour of Pakistan for 10 years but there have been concerns over the trip due to escalating violence in the country, including the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in December.