DUBAI // The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will meet with officials of Dubai Sports City (DSC) today to finalise details for the forthcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand in November. This will be the second round of talks between the two parties over the staging of the four one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches, with Ijaz Butt, the PCB president, previously suggesting DSC's hosting charges were one of the reasons for the lengthy negotiations. Malaysia and the United States have been mooted as possible alternative venues. However, both parties are believed to be keen to finalise the series in the UAE as soon as possible.
The deal should be concluded soon as Ten Sports, the broadcaster, has said they had agreed to screen the matches. Pakistan had to move their home series against the Black Caps over security fears and it was decided to hold the Tests in New Zealand later this year and the limited-overs matches at a neutral venue. The limited-overs matches will be held in November before the teams travel to New Zealand for the Test matches.
The first Test will start in Dunedin on November 24, the second will be played in Wellington from December 3, while the third is scheduled for Napier, starting on December 11. The New Zealand matches will be Pakistan's second "home" series in the UAE. Australia toured here in April and May for five ODIs and a T20 match. The games were shared between DSC and the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan have been forced to play their home matches outside their country after it became a no-go zone for cricket nations following the attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in March. Six cricketers were injured as gunmen, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire on their bus. The incident prompted the International Cricket Council to strip Pakistan of their co-hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup.
arizvi@thenational.ae
