England shelves plans to host matches between Pakistan and India
Malcolm Conn From: The Australian September 13, 2010 12:00AM
PAKISTAN'S latest match-fixing scandal appears to have destroyed the goodwill shown towards the country's stateless cricketers.
The England Cricket Board is believed to be on the verge of abandoning any future series as host of Pakistan home series.
While International Cricket Council and police investigations continue, the dual effect of negative headlines and poor gate receipts has pushed the ECB towards blocking the use of their venues for more matches to follow Pakistan's series against Australia earlier this year. Australia played two Twenty20 matches and two Tests against Pakistan in England, drawing the Test series 1-1.
This would leave the Pakistani team with nowhere else to play "home" fixtures other than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where they are scheduled to meet South Africa in five one-day matches and two Tests from late next month.
Pakistan has not hosted international cricket since the Sri Lankan team and ICC umpires and officials were almost killed in a Lahore terrorist attack during March last year.
The ECB had harboured thoughts of hosting matches between Pakistan and India in the British Isles, but those plans, alongside more modest ones to host a one day series between the Pakistanis and Sri Lanka, have now been shelved.
"Nobody is thinking about that one any more," an ECB official told London's Sunday Telegraph.
Although a number of figures including Australia captain Ricky Ponting have urged the international community to not shun Pakistan for the alleged corruption of four players, it seems inevitable that the country will be treated harshly.
There has been universal sympathy for Pakistan cricket, with the Marylebone Cricket Club sponsoring the recent Pakistan-Australia matches as the Spirit of Cricket Series.
The MCC has since become more cautious regarding dubious cricketing countries, cancelling a fact-finding mission to pariah Zimbabwe on government advice.
Last month's devastating News of The World expose showing a Pakistani player agent receiving pound stg. 150,000 ($250,000) to fix three specific no-balls during the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's has shattered any faith in the team.
The situation was made worse when the incompetent Pakistan Cricket Board refused to stand down those named pending police and International Cricket Council inquiries, forcing the ICC to act so the trio named could not play in the Twenty20 and one-day series against England.
Test skipper Salman Butt and seam bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif returned home last Friday to hundreds of protesters at Lahore airport after they were suspended by the ICC.
England shelves plans to host matches between Pakistan and India | The Australian
England shelves plans to host matches between Pakistan and India
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