Cricket SA says no to PCB

Islamabad - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has turned down Pakistan's request to change the dates of its tour of the republic so as not to clash with the first Pakistan Premier League next March.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) asked the CSA to bring forward the tour of South Africa, which begins on January 25 and ends on March 24, spokesperson Nadeem Sarwar said on Tuesday.

"We requested them to change the itinerary so that we could expand the window of our premier league," Sarwar said. "CSA said it is not possible now since the tickets of the series are sold out. We understand their position and we are comfortable with that."

Pakistan is scheduled to play three Tests, two Twenty20s and five one-day internationals during its two-month tour of South Africa.

Pakistan is planning to organise a Twenty20 league in March similar to the leagues in England, Australia, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The PCB is also hoping to lure foreign players to build confidence in playing in Pakistan, where no major teams have toured since the deadly attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy in 2009 in Lahore.

The PCB's premier league plans have yet to be revealed. It faces a squeeze in time not only because of the South Africa tour but also because the Indian Premier League starts in early April.

A provincial minister successfully hosted two exhbition Twenty20s between an International World XI of retired players from West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa and the Pakistan All Stars in Karachi last weekend. Crowds of more than 32 000 attended the games at the National Stadium.