[News] PCB says India's objection to Oct 2009 CT date understandable

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PCB says India's objection to Oct 2009 CT date understandable

Karachi, Sep 13 (PTI) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today said BCCI's objection to the October 2009 date of Champions Trophy was understandable as India will have to honour international commitments.
India had objected to the proposed Champions Trophy date as they are hosting Australia for a seven match one-day series at that time.

"The series against Australia is important for Indians from financial and cricketing point of view. They are quite flexible on new Champions Trophy dates and had not said no to anything," PCB Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi told PTI.

Naghmi admitted difficulty in finding a window in the international calendar once a tournament was postponed but hopeful of hosting Champions Trophy in September-October 2009.

"All boards have agreed in Dubai the new window should ideally be September-October next year and it is a matter of settling things with other boards. Pakistan has no worries about the new dates," he said.

Describing the next year January Test tour by India as the "mother of all series" for Pakistan cricket, Naghmi said it would shore up the financial resources of the board.

"The coming India series is the mother of all series as the kind of revenue from one India series is probably equal to all the series put together. Hopefully 2009 would be a better year and we will make our financial position healthy starting with Indian series," he said.

Naghmi asserted that the current administration should not be blamed for the current crisis in Pakistan cricket.

"FTP was finalised four years ago and nobody from current dispensation attended the meeting and we got a raw deal as far as scheduling of Tests is concerned." PTI