LAHORE - Pakistan home series against Australia likely to be hosted after Eid in August in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is pondering the option to play three one-dayers and the same number of Twenty20 internationals despite getting nod from ICC for hosting the longest six-match Twenty20 series ever-arranged in the history of T20s, it has been learnt.
Earlier, Pakistan has proposed to Australia to play six T20s instead of scheduled five one-dayers and two T20s and now the PCB was changing its stance under the pressure of the broadcast rigjhts holders and trying to arrange three one-dayers and the same number of Twenty20s, the source said.
Pakistan will inform the Cricket Australia regarding their decision hosting three ODIs and as many T20Is and it will be Australia who would either give it a go ahead, the source added.
Meanwhile it is learnt, that Australians are agreed to play six Twenty20s instead of one-dayers to prepare themselves for the upcoming World Twenty20 Cup to be held in Sri Lanka to avoid injuries to the both teams’ players.
Australian Cricketers Association secretary Marsh has expressed his concern over the scorching heat in mid-August in the UAE and had suggested Cricket Australia to play Twenty20s instead of one-day internationals.
The source said the series was scheduled to be held in UAE, but the decision on the match formats was in stalemate as there was some disagreement over the number of One Day Internationals (ODIs) being played for the series. The disagreement was mainly due to the extreme hot weather in the Emirates in the month of August as Cricket Australia (CA) was reluctant to play the series under such conditions, he added. Pakistan will announce series itinerary after getting approval from Cricket Australia.
Meanwhile, on Monday ICC executive committee has granted permission to Pakistan for holding 6-match T20 series against Australia. “The PCB requested support for the flexibility to stage a six-match T20Is series against Australia potentially in the UAE after Eid in August,” the ICC said.
The ICC Chief Executive Committee “raised no objection to the principle of a six-match T20 series.” Because of the extreme day time heat in the UAE at that time of the year, the CEC raised no objections to the principle of a six-match T20I series,” the statement added.
The recommendation will now be forwarded to the ICC Board meeting on Wednesday (today) for approval. Paul Marsh, who is the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, has termed the governing body’s decision as sensible, “It’s a good common sense decision given the circumstances,” Marsh said. However, he said that CA awaited further details of the series from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The Pakistan Cricket Board is also looking at the proposed India series and the Twenty20 League it has planned as means to overcome a shortfall of Rs 700m (US$7.5 million approx) in its budget for 2011-12. The deficit was confirmed at the board’s governing board meeting held recently in Naudero.
The 2010-2011 budget was also in the red, before it was boosted by the hefty compensation that the ICC paid to the board, following Pakistan’s removal as co-host of the 2011 World Cup. In a statement, the PCB said:
 “The board members deliberated extensively on the budget and noted that like previous years the budget is a deficit one. They were assured that by the end of the financial year every possible effort will be made to reduce the deficit.”