July 30  
Pakistan looks to trouble free tri-series 

KARACHI: Pakistan expects to go ahead with its re-scheduled tri-nation tournament in Nairobi despite problems faced by cricket authorities in the host nation, an official here said Monday. 

"We hope that the tri-series will go ahead and there will be no problems as all hurdles have been removed after the kind support lent by the Kenyan president," Pakistan Cricket Board director Chishty Mujahid said. 

"We are thankful to the Kenyan government." 

Kenya's President Daniel Arap Moi has given the green light to the Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) to go ahead with preparations to host the event, overruling Sports Minister Francis Nyenze's assertion that KCA cannot host the series after it was suspended by the ministry. 

Nyenze disbanded the KCA executive committee in May citing financial mismanagement and replaced it with a caretaker committee.

KCA, however, obtained a stay of execution against the minister's order. Pakistan shifted the tri-series, originally due to be played in Karachi between August 29-September 9, after the third country, Australia, voiced concern about the safety of its players. 

Australia, the current world champions, said they were worried after two suicide car bomb attacks in Karachi in May and June. Kenya was asked by the PCB to replace New Zealand, which withdrew from the series. 

"We have sent a revised itinerary to the Australian Cricket Board on Monday and as soon as we get their approval we will announce the schedule," Mujahid said. 

Asked if the PCB feared any financial impediments as KCA's accounts had been frozen, Mujahid said the PCB was sending its representative to sort out details. 

"PCB's general manager operations Zakir Khan and Australian team manager Steve Bernard will be going to Nairobi to finalise other matters and we hope everything gets settled in the next few days," he said. 

Sri Lanka had also offered to host Pakistan's series if it did not go ahead in Kenya. "We are also thankful to the Sri Lankan board, but since the original venue is finalised we will go ahead as planned." 

The PCB also said Pakistan's scheduled tour to Zimbabwe in November this year would go ahead as planned. "As far as the PCB is concerned our tour to Zimbabwe is also on." 

Australia pulled out of a scheduled tour here in April citing fears of the team's safety.