Pakistan urge Sri Lanka to tour

Pakistan are appealing to Sri Lanka to help fill their scheduling gap after Australia shelved a planned tour over security fears, an official said Wednesday. Pakistan want Sri Lanka to visit in the second half of April after Bangladesh agreed to play earlier in the month.

Australia were due to tour from March 29 to April 29. "Sri Lankan Board's president Arjuna Ranatunga is coming to Pakistan on Thursday and I hope that he will agree to send his team for a one-day series," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf told AFP.

Bangladesh will play five one-day matches next month here, Ashraf added. Sri Lanka are touring the West Indies until April 15.

Ashraf also brushed off doubts over Pakistan's hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy in September and the Asia Cup in June and July. KARACHI, Wednesday, AFP