NO SERIES AGAINST PAKISTAN

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has turned down the Pakistan Cricket Board's invitation for a three-match one-day series next month.

However, BCCI president Sharad Pawar did promise India's participation in a short ODI series ahead of this year's Champions Trophy.

The PCB wanted to fill a gap left by Australia's decision to delay their upcoming tour to Pakistan until the end of March for security reasons.

But Pawar denied the PCB's request, citing player fatigue and the upcoming home series against South Africa, which is scheduled to begin on March 20.

A PCB spokesman told the Dawn: "The short tour of the Indian cricket team to Pakistan, comprising three ODIs, which was proposed (by the PCB) to be played in mid-March has been rejected.

"Mr Sharad Pawar, president BCCI, in a telephone call to the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, stated that despite BCCI's keenness for the tour to have taken place, due to the fatigue of Indian players, who have been playing non-stop international cricket for the last three months with a very short interval between the end of India's tour to Australia and their next commitment against South Africa at home starting on March 20, it is practically impossible to squeeze in a short tour to Pakistan at this time.

"India, however, promised to find time to play a short series any time before the Champions Trophy in September 2008."