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| Friday, 21 March 2003 |
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War puts South Africa's Sharjah trip in doubt by Dave James South Africa, Thursday.-South Africa's participation in the Sharjah Cup was on the verge of being called off on Thursday as a result of the escalating war in Iraq. South African cricket chiefs were holding talks with government officials to discuss the trip to the troubled region where the tournament, which also features Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is due to be held from April 1-10. The talks were called as South African nationals were advised not to visit the Persian Gulf. "We wish to advise South Africans not to visit the Gulf region in this period," said foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa. The South African team is due to leave for Sharjah on March 28 and were due to discuss the issue when they met for a training camp in Pretoria on Monday. "The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) and the government are discussing the situation and we will take their advice very seriously," a spokesman for the UCBSA said. A decision on the trip is expected to made later Thursday. The South African team, under new skipper Graeme Smith, are also due to play in another three-nation contest in Bangladesh immediately after the Sharjah event followed by two Test matches against the hosts. It is understood that talks will also be held between Sharjah organiser Abdulrehman Bukhatir and UCBSA chief executive Gerald Majola when the two attend the World Cup semi-final between India and Kenya in Durban later on Thursday. Regardless of South Africa's reservations, the Pakistan team still intended to travel to Sharjah. "As far as we are concerned the tournament is on and we are preparing for it," Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Samiul Hasan told AFP from Lahore. "In fact, we have today announced the team for the tournament." Despite the hostilities in Iraq, the World Cup final will go ahead as planned on Sunday, a tournament spokesman told AFP. |
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