Abu Dhabi series hits more roadblocks

KARACHI: The Sri Lankan Cricket Board on Tuesday accepted a request from their Pakistani counterpart to allow the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club two more days to deposit their appearance fees of USD 750,000 for playing the three-match one-day series against Pakistan from May 18 to 22nd.

The proposed tournament, which has been plagued by one problem or the other, is scheduled to start May 18.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket board have confirmed that Dr Naseem Ashraf, the Chairman of the board had personally spoken to Duleep Mendis of the Sri Lankan board and asked him to give the ADCC two more days to arrange for the payment of USD 750,000.

"Mendis accepted the request from Ashraf and the organisers in Abu Dhabi now have 48 hours to arrange for the funds," the source said.

The Sri Lankan board had given the problem ridden ADCC until Tuesday to deposit the money or said they would pull out of the series which has become a headache for the organisers.

"The Lankans had threatened to not play the series unless the payment was made. But on the insistence of Ashraf they have relented a bit," the source said.

The ADCC is yet to sell the complete television and in-stadium rights of the matches.

"The ADCC is negotiating with some channels in Pakistan, Dubai and Sri Lanka but they are not willing to pay too much money for these rights," another source said.

Pakistan is keen to play not only to get over the disappointment of the team's first round elimination in the World Cup but also because the board Chairman is interested in having a fund raiser for the national commission of human development department that he heads in the Pakistan government.