'Indo-Pak Test may be shifted to Faisalabad'

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday said it might have to drop Rawalpindi as a venue for the Test series against India in January and February because of the slow pace of contruction work would ready the stadium only by June.

Saleem Altaf, Director-General of the Board, said that he had recently visited the Pindi stadium which is undergoing a massive facelift and work still remained to be done.

"The way things are progressing the entire stadium should be complete by June next year and India tours earlier in the year. We might shift a Test to Faisalabad," he said.

India is due to play Tests in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi and also a one-day international in the twin capital city but Altaf said 30 per cent of the construction work on the new pavilion remained and the main issue was with the outfield.

"The outfield is in really bad shape and we have sent our chief curator Agha Zahid to inspect it. He has given a report but it will take time for the outfield to be repaired properly," he added.

He said Faisalabad was the alternate venue for the Indian tour if the outfield is also not ready.

The International Cricket Council had also dropped Pindi as a venue for the Champions Trophy that was postponed this year for security reasons and will now be held in 2009.

But Altaf said security was not an issue revolving around Pindi discussed with the Indian board officials in New Delhi in a meeting this week.