Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) efforts to fill the vaccum created by the postponement of Champions Trophy bore fruit as it has managed to rope in Lanka for a tri-series in South Africa to be held from Sept 12.

Lanka has given its consent to play in the tri-series while India has expressed its inability to make it to the event, PCB sources revealed.

"Pakistan had approached some countries including India to support the board in organising a triangular or quadrangular event in South Africa to fill in the gap left open after the postponement of the Champions Trophy."

PCB source claimed that India had expressed its regrets as it was already due to visit Pakistan for a full series in early January, Lanka agreed to a one-day tournament.

"Now the modalities including venues and dates for the tri-series is being worked out but tentatively it should start from Sept 12," the source stated.

Former cricketers took a dig at PCB for trying to hold the series in South Africa which refused to send its team to Pak for Champions Trophy.

But senior Board official Shafqat Naghmi said the boycott decision was unanimous and that Pak cannot afford to boycott nor ignore the countries which refused to send teams.

"We are not going to adopt a tit for tat policy because the decision to postpone Champions Trophy was in the end unanimous. People don't realise that Pakistan has still got the hosting rights and it was because of strong stand taken by some boards that the tournament was not relocated to Sri Lanka," Naghmi said.

Agencies 

Tags: pakistan, pcb, tri-series, south africa, naghmi, lanka, icc champions trophy.