Series in UAE will prepare http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and Australia for World T20: Basit Ali – Cricket News Update
Former Pakistan Test Cricketer Basit Ali is of the view that the upcoming T20 series due to be played between Pakistan and Australia in late August/early September, potentially in the UAE, will serve as excellent practice for both teams prior to the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625
World Twenty20, which is scheduled to be held in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 later this year.
“The conditions of UAE are quite similar to those of Sri Lanka where the World Cup will be played in September. And a comprehensive six-match series will prepare both the teams well,” Ali observed.
“UAE is as hot as Sri Lanka. The management and coaches should make the best use of the opportunity.”
Forced to host teams abroad ever since the terrorist attacks on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009 brought the security situation in the country under doubt, Pakistan have been holding home series in neutral venues, such as the UAE (where they hosted http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749
earlier this year).
The series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 was originally planned to consist of 3 ODIs and 3 T20s, most likely to be played in the UAE during August – however, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association expressed concerns regarding the extreme weather
conditions in the region, owing to which the schedule was changed.
The ICC has a rule limiting the number of T20 matches in a bilateral series to 3, but a statement released by the governing body revealed that Pakistan had asked special permission to host Australia for a six-match T20 series– a proposal which the ICC approved
at the Chief Executives’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur, owing to the heat in the region.
“Because of the extreme daytime heat in the UAE at that time of the year, the CEC raised no objections to the principle of a six-match T20I series replacing the scheduled series of three ODIs and three T20Is should the PCB elect to make that switch,” the
statement read.
If it goes ahead, it will be the longest ever bilateral T20 series played between two national sides. The matches will be followed immediately by the ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place in September.
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