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'India say no to Pak even in Malaysia'
Jan 03, 2001, 10:50 Hrs (IST)

Karachi: India refused to take part in a tri-nation cricket tournament in Malaysia because Pakistan are also competing, a Pakistan Cricket Board official Rana said on Tuesday.

"The Malaysian Cricket Association have informed us that the planned tri-series between Pakistan, India and Malaysia has been cancelled because of India's refusal to play," Brigadier Munawwar Rana told AFP.

Malaysia had invited Pakistan and India to join them for a tri-series tournament from January 28 to February 9 in Kuala Lumpur.

"They (India) have said that time was short but it is not an appropriate excuse," Rana said, adding the real reason was that they did not want to play with Pakistan.

"Its disappointing that India turned down the invitation because this would have given a tremendous boost to cricket in Malaysia." Malaysian cricket chief Tunko Imran visited India last month to invite India for the series.

Earlier, the Indian government refused to allow its cricket team to tour Pakistan because of political tensions between the two countries. The government refused to review the decision despite pressure from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"Pakistan would still love to play India anywhere in the world because the contests between the two generate a lot of interest and following," Rana said.

"India's continued refusal to play Pakistan will affect the ICC's 10-year programme because Pakistan will lose financially every time India refuse to come," he added.

The ICC plans to finalise the cricket itinerary for the next decade at its meeting next month in Melbourne.

However, Rana said he was hopeful that the April tri-nation series in Sharjah involving Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka would go ahead as planned. "There should be no problem for the tri-series in Sharjah because it is held every year and is planned well before time."

Copyright AFP 2000