Johannesburg: South Africa has called off its cricket tour to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, due to safety concerns over the US-led war in Iraq, a news report said on Monday. "We value our players and officials and we cannot continue with the tour when there is concern about their safety," said United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) chief executive officer Gerald Majola. "We received an advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs informing us not to travel to the Gulf region under the current circumstances prevailing there," the SAPA news agency quoted him as saying. Majola said however that the UCBSA was in talks with organisers to find possible alternative venues or dates for the tournament to be held. The South African squad was scheduled to play in a tri-angular tournament with Pakistan and Sri Lanka from April 1 to 10.
Copyright AFP 2001 Extras:War puts South Africa's Sharjah tour in doubt
E-mail
To the Editor
Print
