Australia considering playing Pakistan in Morocco

Morocco has emerged as a potential venue for Australia's cricket series against Pakistan later this year, an Australian newspaper reported on Friday.

A spokesman for the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) told The Age that Morocco was being considered along with the United Arab Emirates as possible 'neutral' venues for the series if it was moved from Pakistan.

Australia are scheduled to visit Pakistan in September and October but the tour is unlikely to proceed because of security concerns following the suicide bombing in Karachi this week that killed 14 people.

The New Zealand cricket team, who were staying in a hotel close to the blast on Wednesday, immediately abandoned the remainder of their two-Test tour.

ACB spokesman Brendan McClements told the newspaper Australia wanted their series against Pakistan to go ahead and were already looking into the possibility of playing at a number of neutral venues, including Morocco.

"We'd be seeking more detail but we're definitely open to discussion about that," McClements said.

"It's important for world cricket that Pakistan can continue to play."

ACB chief executive James Sutherland said earlier this week that Australia would monitor the situation in Pakistan before deciding whether the tour would proceed.

Australia have already cancelled a two-Test tour of Zimbabwe because of fears of violence following the re-election of President Robert Mugabe. That tour was scheduled for April and May.

Also read:
- Emotional Kiwi skipper tells of Karachi bomb horror
- NZ cancels Pak tour after Karachi blast
- Blast in Karachi; 10 foreigners killed

Mail Cricket Editor