Updated on
Summary UAE will be likely 'home' again to Pakistan's next cricket series.
Pakistan is set to host Australia in a One-Day International Series and is looking at alternate venues. Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) chief Dilawar Mani told the Khaleej Times that PCB officials will be arriving late on Wednesday night and will hold talks regarding the feasibility of holding the series in the UAE.Another official said that Intikhab Alam, PCB Director of International Cricket and Usmanwalla will hold talks with the ECB. The UAE has been Pakistans home venue since 2009 but with the series scheduled in August, the PCB has been looking at different venues other than the UAE, because of the searing temperatures in the region.The PCB has looked at Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe to host the series. But it now looks like UAE is back on the radar with Manis proposal of having a late start to matches.The choice of venues has narrowed down to two with the UAE and Malaysia in the running. Sri Lanka was originally supposed to host the series but withdrew later as the dates clash with the Sri Lankan Premier League.The PCB officials will arrive later on Wednesday night. We will assist Pakistan in holding the series in the UAE, Mani said on Wednesday.Mani said that having a late start to matches will counter the heat factor. We have made them a proposal. We can have a late start to games. We could start matches at 8pm, he said.Intikhab Alam spent two days in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and inspected the facilities at the Kinrara Academy Oval. He also inspected hotels around the venue. It is being said that he will spend two days in the UAE before returning to Pakistan.Pakistan are to engage Australia over five One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 games. But if the series were to be held in the UAE, there is a possibility that the schedule could be changed.Nothing is confirmed yet. We are still in the process of finalising the venue. The PCB officials have visited Malaysia and will visit the UAE. Only after they return, we will finalise the venue, Nadeem Sarwar, general manager, Media, PCB, told the Khaleej Times, from Pakistan.
