By IANS
Sydney : Cricket Australia (CA) would face a multimillion-dollar penalty if it opts against touring Pakistan, following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) announcement that it would not consider staging the series in a neutral venue, it was reported by the media here Thursday.
“We are confident that the Australians will come and play here according to the schedule,” PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told The Age.
“Either the series will be played in Pakistan or cancelled but there will be no neutral venue,” he warned.
According to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tour Programme (FTP), Australia is scheduled to visit Pakistan in March next year for three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match. Pakistan is also slated to pay a return visit to Australia in December next year.
However, the political and social unrest in Pakistan has caused anxiety among certain members of the Australian team ahead of the tour, which has put the series in crisis.
The PCB has essentially guaranteed that Australia will face a fine of at least Aus $2 million for not honouring its commitment.
Australia’s last tour of Pakistan in 2002-03 was also transferred to the neutral venues of Colombo and Sharjah due to safety concerns.