Pakistan Keen On SA Or Oz Trip

Pakistan - want to travel.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping to secure a bilateral series with one of the leading Test nations to compensate for the postponement of the Champions Trophy.

The International Cricket Council opted to postpone the tournament, which was scheduled to be held in Lahore and Karachi from September 12 to 28, on Sunday due to security concerns.

Pakistan are yet to play a Test match at home this year with Australia opting out of a scheduled bilateral Test series due to security fears, while a three-match one-day series against New Zealand planned in the run-up to the Champions Trophy was also cancelled earlier this month.

The Pakistan Cricket Board now hope a bilateral series with either England, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand can fill the void left by the postponement of the Champions Trophy.

Although the four countries were the ones which had voiced concerns over security, PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said he was confident of confirming a series with one of them.

"We will soon contact the boards of these nations and confirm a series with them," Naghmi was quoted as saying by The News.

Pakistan had pursued the idea of India playing a series of one-day matches, but that option has been ruled out as the neighbours already have a full series in Pakistan scheduled for later this year.

"We don't want to take any gloss away from what is our most important home assignment (against India) by playing against them so close to the series," said Naghmi.

"Sri Lanka is also an option, but we've already played against them earlier this year."