Dubai: The UAE will keep their grounds ready for South Africa-Pakistan series in March if South Africa’s security delegation assessment of safety of their team for their T20 series in Pakistan does not get cleared.
According to a source, the UAE is on standby for a three-match T20 series. South Africa's security delegation will tour Pakistan during the oncoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) and then give their final verdict. Pakistan’s last two home series against South Africa were held in UAE in 2010 and 2013. South Africa haven’t played in Pakistan since 2007.
The source also revealed that South Africa may still train in the UAE even if the security delegation clears the tour to Pakistan. South Africa will be in the UAE after a series against India which is to held until March 18 and wait in the UAE for the PSL to end on March 21. South Africa’s India tour tour is made up of three ODIs commencing on March 12 with the first match in Dharmasala. The second is on March 15 in Lucknow and the third match is in Kolkata on March 18.
The scheduled T20 series against Pakistan is to likely held in Rawalpindi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen to announce to the world that Pakistan is safe for all nations and not just Asians countries. Sri Lanka have already played in Pakistan and a series against Bangladesh too have been held there including a Test series.
Meanwhile, whether UAE will host the Asia Cup in September or will this tournament be held in Pakistan will be known only after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting is held. It is understood that the delay in staging the ACC meeting is due to the India’s Supreme Court ruling on whether N. Srinivasan can represent the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council meetings. The BCCI wants the court to agree for the age cap of over 70 years to represent BCCI be removed which will enable 75-year-old Srinivasan to attend the meetings. The ACC is understood to have agreed to wait for India, which is an important member of the ACC, to take a decision on this matter.
