Pakistan board approves deficit budget

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday approved a deficit budget for 2011-2012 that envisages plans to revive international matches in the troubled country.

Pakistan have been forced to play their international series at neutral venues since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in the eastern city of Lahore two years ago which resulted in foreign teams avoiding the country due to security concerns.

The PCB's governing board met in Lahore to approve the budget but did not disclose its total amount.

"A deficit budget has been approved," chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters.

"We have been forced to play at home for the last two years but the impression that we suffer losses in every series played on neutral venue is not correct."

Pakistan, who hosted West Indies, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, will also host their home series against Sri Lanka in October-November this year and England (January-February 2012) in the UAE.

Butt said the board had various plans to overcome the deficit.

"We have plans to lift club cricket so that our domestic cricket improves and for that we have planned around 5,000 matches at club level in the country in the next season," said Butt.

Former spinner Abdul Qadir has been appointed coordinator for club cricket.

Butt said Pakistan was also endeavouring to host its own Twenty20 league, modelled on the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

"We want to stage our own Twenty20 league although we do not have the expertise but we are still trying," he added.

A panel of 12 lawyers has also been appointed to help the PCB on the legal front.

The PCB was embroiled in a damaging row with Shahid Afridi after the all-rounder was removed as one-day captain earlier this month.

The stand-off, which started after Afridi announced retirement from international cricket following his removal as captain, was finally settled out of court following a meeting between Afridi and Butt last week.

Afridi appeared before a disciplinary committee which restored his no-objection certificates which allow him to play abroad but fined him $53,000 for breaching the players' code of conduct.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011