England have rejected a proposal by Pakistan to play a second one-day international in the southern port city of Karachi on their tour this year in addition to the one already scheduled.
A Pakistani cricket official said on Friday that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having refused to play a Test match in Karachi, has now turned down a proposal to play another one-day game in the city during October-November.
"The itinerary should be finalised sometime next week. But what is confirmed is they will only play one match in Karachi," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of Operations Abbas Zaidi told Reuters.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has been in London for the last two weeks trying to convince the ECB to play more games in Karachi, a city that has been the target of a series of militant attacks since the September 11, 2001 assaults on the United States.
Zaidi said England were now likely to play three tests at Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad while out of five one-dayers, one would be in Karachi with two each in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
"They have security concerns about playing in Karachi which are tangible and we can't pressurise them on this issue," Zaidi said.
A PCB source said there was genuine concern that the tour could be affected by this month's London bomb blasts and the crackdown on militants in Pakistan.
Three of the four suspected suicide bombers in the July 7 London attacks were British Muslims of Pakistani origin.
After 9/11, Australia and West Indies cancelled cricket tours to Pakistan citing security and safety concerns, and the series were relocated to neutral venues.
South Africa also refused to play in Karachi in 2003 and last year India rejected a proposal for a Test match in Karachi.
