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PCB hopes for the best

AFP, Lahore
Cricket
England will play just one limited-overs international in Karachi after refusing to consider a five-day Test in the troubled southern city over security fears, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Thursday.
"The tour programme has been finalised after consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and we are pleased to announce the itinerary," said a PCB statement.
England will play three Tests and five one-day internationals during their winter tour, which runs from October 26 to December 21.
PCB director of operations Saleem Altaf brushed aside media speculation over the tour being in jeopardy following the July 7 London bombings after it emerged that several of the British bombers had links with Pakistan.
"It was all speculation," said Altaf. "We were always confident that the tour will go on, and now we
hope that it (will) be a smooth tour."
He also played down media reports that some of the English players, currently involved in a high-profile Ashes against Australia, might pull out over security fears.
"England's tour to Pakistan will also be a high-profile tour, and we hope all the top players will come."
England will play two warm-up three-day games after arriving in Rawalpindi near Islamabad on October 26.
The three Tests scheduled for the tour will now take place in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan, the PCB press release said.
Lahore will also stage two one-day internationals while Rawalpindi will hold the last two internationals.
Security experts from a private British firm earlier this month assessed security at various grounds in Pakistan, focusing on Karachi, which has a history of religious violence and attacks on Western targets.
Their tour was followed by ECB's cricket operations manager John Carr and Players Association representative Richard Bevan, who met
the British High Commission in Pakistan and PCB officials.
Karachi has been rocked by a series of deadly shootings as well as a suicide bombing at a mosque and the burning down of a KFC restaurant in recent months.
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, foreign cricket teams like Australia and the West Indies have refused to play in Pakistan because of security fears.
Karachi has been rejected as a Test venue by South Africa and India since a bomb blast outside the New Zealand's team hotel in May 2002 killed 14 people, including 11 French naval engineers.
"We tried our level best to convince England to first play a Test and then two one-day games," said Altaf. "Karachi has been our main centre and we hope in future its Test status will be maintained."
The tour will be England's first here since 2000 when Nasser Hussain's team won their first series in Pakistan for 39 years. England won a Test in Karachi on that tour.