da roleta： Karachi is scheduled to host a match when Australia visit Pakistan in March – their first tour of the country in ten years
Cricinfo staff21-Jan-2008
South Africa played a Test in Karachi last year, paving the city’s return to international cricket © Getty Images
Karachi is scheduled to host a match when Australia visit Pakistan in March – their first tour of the country in ten years. Though the itinerary will only be finalised at some point within the next month, the tentative schedule includes the port city as a venue. It is not yet known whether the citywill host a Test match, an ODI, or both.Australia are scheduled to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20international on the tour, though whether or not the tour goes ahead willonly be decided after a security delegation has visited Pakistan, one weekafter general elections are held in the country on February 18.”We haven’t finalised an itinerary yet – that will be done within the nextmonth,” Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the PCB, told reporters. “Karachi is on the tentative itinerary that we have drawn up, however.”In the aftermath of 9/11, Karachi often missed out on internationalcricket due to continuing security concerns, but India’s visit in 2003-04,to play an ODI, paved the way for its return on the international map. Itsrehabilitation was seemingly complete last year when South Africa, who hadrefused to play there in 2003, played a warm-up match and a Test.Ashraf also elaborated on Pakistan’s decision to insure the tour as precaution in case Australia do pull out. “Our first aim is tocover financial losses,” he said. “This is the first time we have insured a singleseries and it was a reasonable step. This should not be seen as a messageto Australia that they can pull out just because we are financiallycovered.”A local paper reported recently that the Australian High Commission inIslamabad had sent a favourable report back to Australia, concluding thatthe Australian team will be under no specific threat if and when theyvisit.”Anything can happen anywhere. During the Ashes series of 2005, the 7/7bombings happened and the tour went on,” Ashraf said. “The same should happen here in Pakistan.”