Australia renew call for neutral venue

Australia have renewed their call for their forthcoming Test series against Pakistan to be played at a neutral venue.

The Australian Cricket Board announced last week that they were cancelling their tour of Pakistan for security reasons and were keen for the three Tests to be played elsewhere.

"What we've said to the Pakistan Cricket Board is that we're very keen for these matches to be played in October as scheduled and hopefully that's the approach they're taking," ACB chief executive James Sutherland said in an interview on Australian television on Wednesday.

The PCB threatened an Asian bloc boycott last week after the ACB announcement.

The triangular one-day series involving Australia and Pakistan has already been moved to Kenya, New Zealand pulled out of its tour after a bomb attack in Karachi in May killed 11 French people and three Pakistanis and a tour by West Indies was played on neutral territory in Sharjah.

"This (Australia tour) is the third tour (to Pakistan) this calendar year that's either been aborted or cancelled," Sutherland said.

"We know what sort of implication that would have for us. You can only imagine the significant financial impact in Pakistan."

Mail Cricket Editor