Sunday, September 14, 2008

West Indies wait for players' word on tour

West Indies might land in Pakistan only after assessing the security situation in the country.

Donald Peters, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive, has said the board will agree to Pakistan's request for a two-Test series in November only after receiving the approval of the players' association.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board made a formal request for West Indies to play two Test matches in November," Peters told PA Sport in London. "We now have to wait for approval from the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) and it has to be confirmed by the WICB before we can confirm the matches will take place."

Peters indicated he was in favour of going ahead with the tour, but said the WIPA might make a decision only after appraising the security situation in the country. "I am currently trying to fast-track that process so that we can get that done as quickly as possible and hopefully agree on the tour," he said. "Whether we can get that approval from the Players' Association, however, will depend on their analysis of the security situation in Pakistan."

West Indies were invited last week for a Test series in Pakistan as the PCB desperately looked for alternatives following the postponement of the Champions Trophy due to security concerns. Pakistan had earlier, albeit unsuccessfully, tried to arrange a tri-series in South Africa and an ODI series against Sri Lanka.