PCB looks for matches

Pakistan are confident that they will be able to confirm a tri-series in either South Africa or Australia in order to fill the gap created by the postponement of the Champions Trophy which was scheduled to be held in September.
Shafqat Naghmi, Pakistan board's chief operating officer, told the News that they would contact Australia and South Africa to fix matches for September.
"We are hoping to play a tri-series in South Africa with India. The Indian board president during the teleconference gave us 50 per cent assurance that this might be possible," Naghmi told PTI. "We have also spoken to Australia so if the South African plan does not materialise we can involve them. We first have to see how the Indian board responds because their participation will help boost broadcasters and sponsors interest in such a series."
Pakistan could also invite either India or Sri Lanka for a home series but they've already played against them this year. Pakistan are also hosting India for a full Test and one-day series early next year.
"We don't want to take any gloss away from what is our most important home assignment [against India] by playing against them so close to the series," Naghmi said. "Sri Lanka is also an option."
"The postponement of the Champions Trophy means that all the teams are free next month and I think they can help us out. Obviously the postponement has been a setback for us in many ways and we need to play cricket."
Australia are set to tour Pakistan next April for a five-match one-day series and a Twenty20 and Naghmi was optimistic they would honour their commitment. However, he admitted his disappointment at the non-Asian teams for pulling out of the Champions Trophy.
"We are definitely disappointed by Australia because they have not toured us for 10 years," Naghmi told AFP. "Australia have a commitment of playing five one-day internationals in April next year so we hope by then their fears are removed and they play in our country."
The ICC postponed the Champions Trophy, which was due to begin in Pakistan in 19 days' time, to October 2009, after five of the eight participating nations confirmed during a teleconference on Sunday that they would not send their teams for the event due to security concerns.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket will investigate organising an international series to fill the gap caused by the postponement of the Champions Trophy. The national team is now not due to play until it tours Bangladesh in October, a contest which will act as a warm-up for the two Tests in Australia in November.
Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said finding opponents was "a bit of a long-shot", but they could be helped because the other major outfits were also free of commitments for most of September. "We'll monitor the environment and see if any of the other countries are willing to participate," Vaughan said in the Dominion Post. "We're keen but I guess we'll just wait and see."
The weather in New Zealand would prevent them hosting, but Vaughan said the team was happy to travel. "It would be good for the guys to get a bit of cricket prior to the Bangladesh tour and they're all fit and ready to go," he said.
Heath Mills, the New Zealand players' association executive manager, said postponing the Champions Trophy was the "only sensible decision". "It took the ICC a while to reach the right conclusion but they eventually did," he said in the Press.
New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and West Indies all indicated to the ICC they were not prepared to attend the event. Mills hoped the situation in Pakistan would improve over the next year so the tournament could go ahead.